


'Till Hell Freezes Over

by Fede_Green



Series: Hell Series [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe – Organised Crime/Mafia, Attempt at Rape – Not graphic, Blood, M/M, Mention of torture, Murder, Sexual Content, Violence, kidnap, professional assassins!Nico&Percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-08-23 19:14:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8339449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fede_Green/pseuds/Fede_Green
Summary: Nico di Angelo and Percy Jackson – also known as The Cousins in the organised crime scene of San Francisco – work as professional killers for the famous Mafia boss Chaos. While Nico has a thing for knives and gore, Percy is more of a quick and clean type, his passion being guns of all sorts. They are good at what they do, and they are good together.They're so dangerous that, eventually, someone will want to get rid of them.The thing no one knows is that The Cousins made a deal several years ago. A deal with each other.





	1. Accident Murderers

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooo everybody! Here I am with this _madness_. Because that's what it is.  
>  I proposed to write this fic on [tumblr](http://fedegreen-author.tumblr.com/) and you seemed happy about it, and so was I :) I just hope you're gonna like it!
> 
> Necessary warnings (READ THIS!):  
> \- English is not my first language; tell me about mistakes so that I can correct them!  
> \- Graphic depiction of Death/Violence/Murder: I warned you. If these trigger you, it's up to you not to read the fic.  
> \- Sexual content: aka smut, because why not.  
> \- Rape/Non-Con elements: there's an attempt at rape, not graphic though.  
> \- This fic is so... politically and morally incorrect. To say the least. If you have any problem with one of the elements I quoted, don't read it.  
> Enjoy *-*

A young boy with dark raven hair and green eyes leaned with a shoulder against the wall, in a crowded pub. He was glancing at the people who danced and drank in front of him with a cold expression, hands in pockets. The boy didn't look entertained.

Friday nights in San Francisco surely were something to look forward to during the week, but the boy apparently didn't seem fond of them. He looked bored, almost absent, as the loud music deafened him.

As the lights were flashing into different colours while the songs kept changing, a group of girls chuckled seductively and threw him a kiss as they passed by. The young boy politely smiled at each one of them.

When a blond man around forty years old stood up from his table in the distance, laughing at some friend's joke and grabbing his drink from the wooden surface, the young boy cocked his head with interest. That was more entertaining than a night out.

The man's mouth was still opened into a fragrant laugh as the boy left his position against the wall, straightening his back and adjusting the sleeves of his coat over the dark blue suit he was wearing. He cracked his neck a couple of times before pulling his Smith & Wesson out of the internal pocket of his grey coat.

The young boy pointed the semi-automatic handgun towards the man, reducing his eyes to a thin line as he concentrated on his target.

He crooked a smirk as he pulled the trigger.

The man who had been laughing and drinking just a second earlier dropped to the floor with a bleeding hole in the middle of his forehead.

Some people started shouting as panic overwhelmed them, others were pulling their phones out to call the cops. As everyone began running towards the exit doors, the young boy had already hid his weapon, totally unimpressed. The screams increased of intensity as the puddle of blood on the floor expanded.

The boy blinked, his lips slightly curved in the faintest of the smiles.

Someone patted on his shoulder. He turned his head, frowning at the sight of the person in front of him.

“How long does it take you to fucking piss?”

The person who had patted him on the shoulder raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his white coat. “You could have at least waited for me.”

“You're such a lady. I got bored.”

The other boy rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Let's go. I could totally use a cheeseburger.”

“Fine,” the taller answered, nodding once at the exit doors' direction. People were still screaming in terror, storming out the bar as fast as they could. “The car's waiting for us round the corner.”

“How the hell are we supposed to reach it?” The boy snorted loudly, looking beyond unhappy about that. “Look at what you've done.”

“You know what the orders were.”

“Of course I do,” the shorter boy answered, blowing a bang of black hair away from his left eye, “if you just had waited, I would have done it myself. No one would have noticed.”

The other boy rolled his eyes, making his way towards the exit doors. He could hear the police sirens outside the bar. “I hadn't the time to wait for you to skin that man alive, thank you very much, I got stuff to do tonight.”

“Like what?,” the shorter answered with a mischievous smirk, “fucking me, for example?”

“For example. C'mon, hurry up. I'll warn Argus to reach us down the block.”

The other boy smiled widely. “You're my hero, boo.”

“Don't call me that or... wait. Argus? Yes. It's my fault. I know, I don't care... Down the block, on the left. See you there in five.” The taller boy closed the phone call, dragging his partner in crime towards the bar back entrance as they both chuckled.

“What did he say about this fucking mess?”

The taller one shoved him outside unkindly. “Asked me how did we manage to provoke it. He guessed it was my Baby's fault.”

“Jesus Christ, I hate when you call that piece of iron _like that_. I _am_ your baby.” The other boy turned around as they quickly walked towards their rendezvous point with Argus. He winked teasingly.

“I call my guns however the fuck I wanna call them, _baby_.”

The boy laughed loudly at that.

They kept it quiet for a while, as the taller glanced behind their backs to check on unwanted visitors. The black limo finally came to their sight, and they both got inside the luxurious car.

The middle-aged man on the driver's seat opened the divider between him and the two young boys. He crooked an amused smile as he pulled away the main street. “Long time no see, Mr. Jackson. Mr. di Angelo, how was the night?”, he glanced at them from the mirror.

The shorter boy huffed a chuckle, getting rid of his white coat and revealing his belt. The black leather belt had a couple of Shuriken Kunai hanging from it. “Lovely, to say the least. This asshole didn't ever offer me something to drink.”

“Oh, please, Nico. Drop it. It took you ages to take a leak,” the taller boy, who also seemed to be older than the one called Nico, rolled his eyes. He had his hands in his pockets, currently busy staring outside the window.

“A guy was hitting on me. I had to get rid of him,” Nico answered, pulling one of his Shurikens Kunai out of its case. It was covered in blood.

Argus laughed gaily from the front seat.

The older boy turned around with a shocked expression. “ _Nico_ , for fuck's sake! We had precise orders! Chaos is _so_ not going to be fine with this.”

Nico frowned in anger. “So what?! You burned a whole villa down last week, just for the fun of it!”

“To my defence, the furniture was shit.”

“Percy, please. I mean it. Try _at least_ to shut the hell up.” Nico wiped his knife on his pants.

The black haired guy called Percy snorted. Though, he couldn't hide his amusement. “You're so damn sexy when you get mad at me.”

“I said shut up,” the younger replied, totally unamused and still working on his weapon. “The blood already dried. Jesus, it'll take me ages to clean this up.”

“It should teach you something like _follow our boss's orders_ , for example.”

“Well, if you hadn't-”

“Mr. Jackson,” Argus called, making Percy turning his head towards him. “Someone's following us.”

Nico's head jerked to the rearview mirror, and the boy cursed to himself as he put his Shuriken Kunai back in the belt. He wore the coat again. “Who is it?”

Argus put the foot down on the gas pedal, speeding up. “Grey minivan. It's two cars behind us. Let's see if I can outrun them.”

Percy took a look behind them from the rear glass, pulling Baby out of his coat and filling it up. “How do you know they're following us?”

“With all respect, sir, I just know.” The driver brusquely turned right, pulling away from the main street.

The grey minivan was rushing right behind them without any hesitation, not even pretending not to be following them anymore. The right front window opened and a man wearing a ski-mask pointed a machine-gun at the limo.

Percy's eyes widened in exactly a fraction of a second. “ _Get down_! Now!”

Nico hid his head between his arms as Argus swerved dangerously to cover himself as well. Percy ground his teeth with rage, punching the sunroof open and standing up. The fusillade began almost immediately, but the young boy didn't give his opponent the time to actually point at him. He shot at him exactly twice, and the ski-masked man's grip on the weapon loosened as the machine-gun fell from his hands and rolled down the street into pieces. Percy turned of a few centimetres on his right to shoot at the driver. The minivan swerved, crashing against a street-light and stopping its mad rush behind the limo.

Percy got in the limo again, noticing that the rear glass was cracked in several points. Luckily, the whole car was bulletproof.

The older boy was panting furiously. “I bet on my ass those were Zeus's snipers. How did he find us?!”

“Percy, chill. We just killed one of his men at the bar.” Nico said with a cold expression, buttoning up his coat as soon as he noticed they had reached their organisation's headquarters.

Argus waited for the huge mechanic gates to open, and then drove past them, stopping right in front of the beautiful modern villa. He nodded at Nico and Percy once with a serious look. “Good luck with that.”

Percy crooked an evil grin. “We don't _need_ luck. You should know it by now.”

Nico huffed a laugh, stepping outside the limo and heading to the front door, which opened apparently by itself at his passage. Percy reached him, wrapping an arm around his waist and smiling at him warmly.

“Have I told you you're gloriously beautiful tonight?”, the older boy whispered into Nico's ear, leaving a sweet kiss on his neck.

The night-guards closed the door behind them without saying a word.

“I'm aware, there's no need to tell me.” Nico winked, then snapped his fingers at a night-guard. “ _You_ , go call Jason. We need to wake the boss up.”

One of the night-guards gulped in terror. “S-sir, Chaos is not here tonight.”

Nico didn't even blink. He slowly turned around to face the man, who had to gulp once more. Very casually, the boy put a hand on his hip, revealing the leather belt under his coat. “I already know this. Are we going to discuss like old friends in front of a cup of coffee, or maybe do you want to move that ass of yours and do _how you are told_?”

The man nodded frantically and basically run down the right corridor.

Percy snorted, leaning against the wall with amusement. He looked totally gorgeous in his long grey coat, his black hair perfectly cut and brushed and his piercing green eyes staring at Nico in admiration. “God knows how much I love you.”

The other night-guard was slightly trembling, trying not to look at them.

“Who needs God when I have you?” Nico smirked mischievously, approaching him against the wall and brushing their lips together. “You smell good when you shoot at people.”

Percy groaned low in his throat, fiercely grabbing Nico's neck and devouring his mouth with intense desire. The two began making out in the middle of the villa entrance, and Percy had to turn them around to slam Nico against the wall. His fingers began feverishly working on the buttons of Nico's coat, trying to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Nico chuckled against Percy's lips, wrapping a leg around his waist and cupping his face to tilt his head in a different angle.

Someone cleared his throat embarrassingly behind them.

Nico and Percy had to separate, and Nico's smile widened in pure joy at the sight of the blond man standing next to them.

“Jason, you're _stunning_ tonight!”, he winked at him.

The blond man called Jason breathed shakily under Percy's murderous gaze. “T-thank you, Nico. The boss is coming, let's head to the office.”

“Very willingly, awesome,” Nico brushed a finger along Jason's chest as he walked past him. Jason swallowed hard, trying to avoid Percy's eyes.

“Um, Mr. Jackson... Chaos said there's something important he needs to talk to you about. In private,” Jason said, failing miserably in hiding the fear crossing his whole body. Percy Jackson was one of the most intimidating snipers Jason had ever worked with; and he had worked with _a lot_ of them.

There was something about those two which terrified people. Maybe it was their cold eyes, maybe it was the way they horribly murdered people, maybe it was their unhealthy and morbid relationship, or maybe it was simply the fact that they were the youngest but also the greatest assassins the organised crime world had ever had the chance to see.

“As you may have noticed, I have nothing to hide from Nico.” Percy coldly answered the blond man.

Jason gulped. “But the boss clearly said-”

“ _The boss_ will get over it.”

Nico chuckled as they reached the boss's office up the stairs. The small atrium looked luxurious and elegant, with a white door towering over them – the actual office hid behind it. A black couch was positioned against the wall on the right to keep company to a couple of armchairs of the same colour. On the other side of the atrium towered a beautiful glass cabinet that showed all sorts of alcoholic beverages inside, as well as a few crystal glasses for the guests.

Nico graciously fell on the couch, crossing his legs with a smirk as Jason tried not to follow his movements. Percy opened the cabinet, grabbing a bottle of sherry. He then pulled two glasses of out the cabinet, putting them on a table strategically positioned in front of it. Nico winked at him as the taller boy reached him on the couch, offering him a glass half full of the light orange liquid.

The two silently drank, smiling at each other warmly behind the glasses.

Jason stood there with his back facing the white door. He wasn't absolutely going to give his back to them. It was too dangerous.

Two bodyguards appeared near the door-frame. Percy blinked with a blank expression, getting up from the couch. Nico remained where he was, smiling sweetly at the two men, who were openly ignoring him.

A tall and grizzled man entered the atrium as he sighed in tiredness. He was around fifty years old and wearing an elegant grey suit with a dark red shirt which recalled the colour of blood. A series of gold rings adorned his fingers. The man's aura of power perfectly fitted his elegance and charm.

“I was finally going to have sex with my wife tonight, but my lovely secretary had to call me 'cause the Cousins have fucked up again.” The man crossed his arms on his chest, staring at Percy deeply in the eyes.

Jason's legs were shaking.

Percy didn't seem to be impressed. “Some of Zeus's fuckers followed us tonight. They were two.”

Chaos waited as Percy took a brief pause.

“I killed them both.”

The man smiled. “And what about Frederick Chase?”

“Dead,” Percy calmly answered.

“And who killed him?” Chaos asked with a dangerous flash in his eyes.

“I did.”

Nico raised his head to look at his boss. He was smiling.

The man nodded once, walking past Percy and unlocking the door of his office with his card. Nico snorted in boredom, standing up from the couch and following Percy and Chaos's bodyguards inside the luxurious room.

Jason closed the door behind the small group, and then stood in silence in the bottom left corner of the room. Chaos sat in his lather chair in front of his mahogany desk, crossing his hands over the surface. His bodyguards were right behind him, staring at Nico and Percy intensely as they both took their seats in the armchairs in front of their boss.

Chaos cleared his throat. “Our client, Mr. Hill, called me ten minutes ago to compliment me. He said that the work had been executed in an old fashioned... _gracious_ way. I asked what the fuck he was talking about,” his eyes wandered from Percy to Nico. “He said that his uncle, Marcus Hill as we all know, had just been found dead in the bathroom of the Ambrosia. A perfect clean cut on his carotid. Blood everywhere. It looked like a Kill Bill's movie. He also said he was amazed and incredibly happy about it.”

Nico eyes sparkled.

“Can I ask how you two manage to fuck up every single time, and every single time the result is near perfect? You weren't even supposed to kill Marcus Hill tonight.”

Percy's head slowly turned towards Nico. His expression was unreadable.

Nico shrugged. “Fortune favors the brave.”

“You said someone was hitting on you in the bathroom,” Percy almost whispered in such a frightening way that Jason's heart froze at the sound of his voice.

“I wasn't lying about that.”

“You cut his throat?” Percy asked seriously.

Nico raised an eyebrow without saying a word. Percy's lips slowly curved into a genuine smile.

Chaos frowned in amusement. “I think you deserve a present. You excelled yourself tonight. You can both choose a new weapon, go to Reyna tomorrow morning and tell her what I said.”

Jason's eyes narrowed. He was feeling so anxious that his stomach hurt. He couldn't stand the sight of those two. He just couldn't.

Percy leaned closer to the desk, looking happier than a kid about to open his Christmas presents. “You're saying I can take that beautiful Beretta you bought just a week ago? _Any_ weapon?”

Nico rolled his eyes.

“Whatever you want.” Chaos smirked in satisfaction, leaning against his chair with a wide smile.

Percy grinned disturbingly. “Hell yes. I'm calling it Sexy.”

Nico snorted loudly, his head cocking to the side to stare at Percy like he had just insulted him. “Are you serious?!”

Chaos laughed with pure joy. “You two can go home. I'll call you tomorrow for the next assignment.” He then waved his hands at them in an unequivocal request to leave the room. “Shoo.”

Nico and Percy nodded once in obedience, both standing up and directing themselves to the door. Nico kept glaring at Percy, though.

“Oh, and, Percy? We need to talk one of these days,” Chaos added as they were both already in the atrium.

“With all respect, sir,” Percy answered coldly, “there's no privacy between Nico and I. You can talk to me while he's with us, or I'll just tell him later. You can choose.”

Chaos's lips reduced to a thin line. He didn't want to admit it, but the way those kids used to talk to him was off-putting. They were the only ones daring to demand obedience to their boss. Chaos still needed them, though. Their names were well-known. Having them under his control gave him absolute power and respect among the organised crime scene.

Perseus Jackson and Nico di Angelo - or _The Cousins_ , as people in the industry called them – were lethal.

The man locked eyes with Percy. Saying _no_ to that could cost him his life. No matter he was the boss of one of the most powerful Mafia organisations of the United States; Percy Jackson didn't care about those mere details. Contradicting him meant death.

Chaos took a deep breath. “Very good. Go home, then.”

Percy nodded, taking Nico's hand in his and leaving the atrium.

Their boss didn't realise he had been holding his breath.

“Sir,” Jason suddenly called him, his voice slightly trembling. “You shouldn't let them treat you like this. They need to know who's in command here.”

“Dear Jason,” Chaos said, his eyes still fixed on the door, “They're aware of that. I like to believe they're a bit scared of me.”

“I don't think the Cousins pay attention to those kinds of details. They don't account to anyone but themselves,” Jason looked at his boss in worry. “It's about time we do something about this.”

“Jason, I'm warning you. You're getting on my nerves. Go back to your room, please.” Chaos ordered him. His tone didn't admit any kind of protest.

Jason sighed, but nodded in obedience. He exited the room with the certainty that Chaos should have listened to him.

** **

The big villa was fully illuminated by the sun as Nico approached one of the back entrances. It was around noon, meaning that Reyna had to be in the laboratory. He smiled to himself, happy at the idea of seeing his friend.

He crossed the back garden covered in snow and finally slammed the door open with his magnetic card.

The guards fidgeted at his passage.

Nico whistled a cheery song, walking past the kitchen and waving his hand at their cook. “ _Buongiorno_ , Silena.”

The woman warmly smiled at him. “Hey, darling,” she shouted. “Wait a minute. Have you had lunch? I'm about to cook something for the guys.”

Nico made a small jump back and leaned against the door-frame. He cocked his head to a side, shaking it seconds later. “Percy's taking me out for lunch in an hour. I just gotta do a little thing now.”

“Oh,” she winked. “He's always so charming. Do you want me to cook something to bring home? Maybe for dinner, tonight?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “We're not dying from food deprivation. Don't worry.”

“Mh, okay,” Silena frowned, though she didn't look convinced. “I wonder how you two manage to survive in that big apartment of yours. Neither of you can cook.”

The boy shrugged, chuckling in amusement. “And look at us! We're alive. Sorry, darling, I've gotta go.” He sent the woman a flying kiss, disappearing down the corridor.

Silena shook her head to herself with a smile, resuming her work on the carrots.

Nico opened the door of their underground labs' section with his card, closing it behind his back seconds later. He started whistling again, stepping down two flights of iron stairs with a big smile. As soon as his feet reached the cement of the ground, he stopped walking.

The atrium of their laboratories' section was pretty huge and oval. A series of white doors with the numbers from 1 to 20 started from Nico's right, ending to Nico's left on the other side of the room. The walls were grey, while a series of white neon lights hung in a circle from the ceiling.

Nico turned to his left and took a few steps towards the door with a big '20' on. _Explosives_.

“Hey, Charlie. What's up?”, he asked casually, winking at a guy working in the laboratory.

The dark skinned boy raised his head, freezing on the spot at the sight of Nico smiling at him. He removed his protective mask and turned the blowtorch off. “Hey. All fine. Leo is not here at the moment,” Charlie gulped, looking clearly uncomfortable at the idea of talking to that boy.

“I know,” Nico smiled again, noticing Charlie's weird behaviour. “You can talk to me, you know.”

Charlie's throat dried. “Where is P-Percy?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Oh. Right. You're scared of Percy. He's not here. Listen, is Reyna in lab four?”

Charlie nodded frantically.

“Nice. Thank you. By the way... I just _love_ how that white tank top fits you,” Nico winked mischievously, petrifying the boy in front of him as he chuckled and walked past the laboratory.

A few more steps and Nico crossed the whole atrium, reaching lab n° 4. Inside the room, a dark brown haired girl was working on a series of test tubes. She wore a white gown and a pair of glasses, her brown eyes fixed on her hands. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail.

“Good morning,” he whispered teasingly, as the girl didn't make a move to greet him. “This planet needs you. What are you doing?”

She blinked in seriousness, pouring a white liquid in two of the test tubes. “A nice way to corrode people from the inside.”

Nico's eyes sparkled dangerously. He approached the worktable with his mouth slightly opened. “This is art. Can I-”

“ _Don't_ touch it. Ever!” Reyna's hand slapped Nico's as he tried to grab one of the test tubes. She then sighed in exasperation, getting rid of her gloves and throwing them in the bin next the table. “Percy's Beretta is ready. Leo is heading to your apartment right now.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “Oh. I was here to take it.”

“I figured you were here for your own present?”

Nico smiled widely. “That, too! Listen, how long does it take for a full set of Shurikens?”

“How many points?”

“Six. Extremely sharp.”

Reyna snorted in amusement. “And where do you plan to hide them on your body? Four 6-points Shurikens are difficult not to notice. Don't go to the airport.”

“That's up to me. Don't worry about that. So? How long?” Nico crossed his arms on his chest.

Every once in a while, Reyna had to notice how charming that boy was. He always wore elegant clothes, that day being no exception. His black pants perfectly fitted the dark grey shirt he was wearing under the heavy, totally white coat. Reyna knew he was probably hiding lethal weapons under that.

“Let me think,” she sighed. “About a week. Can you wait? Jake is home, ill.”

“I can wait. Are you free for lunch? You could join Percy and I at the restaurant.” Nico smiled with hope.

Hearing Percy's name, Reyna's blood stopped circulating. “Um. I can't. I'm too busy. Chaos wants twenty vials of this stuff for tomorrow.”

Nico snorted with disappointment like a spoiled little child. “Fine. Remember those Shurikens! I want my name on them,” he smirked evilly. “Bye, darling. See you later.”

The girl huffed a shaky breath as she looked at the boy leaving the laboratory.

Of course he wanted his name on the Shurikens.

 _Nico_ , synonym of imminent death.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (THANK YOU PIXYICE FOR YOUR PATIENCE.)


	2. Don't Take Me Alive

“What about this one, instead?”

Nico handed his phone to Percy to show him a picture.

“Baby, I'm driving. I'm kinda busy here,” Percy answered, his eyes fixed on the street.

Nico snorted annoyingly. “But we gotta choose one! The white one is excluded. It gets dirty too easily. But the light grey really matches the rest of the furniture. Don't you think? Look, it becomes a bed.” He offered his phone to Percy again.

Percy pursed his lips, deadpan.

“Also, it goes with two armchairs, which is really a good thing 'cause-”

“We have _so many_ guests,” Percy quickly glanced at him, pure sarcasm crossing his face.

Nico crossed his arms. “You're not funny at all. It's important! We can't keep going on living without a couch. We could have guests if we had a couch. I'm ordering the grey one,” he unlocked his phone again, scrolling down the screen with concentration.

Percy sighed heavily. _Be patient, Percy. You have sex with this kid_. “Look. It's here.”

“Where's your credit card?”

“Nico. Shut up,” Percy pulled the black car over. “ _Jackson and Brothers'_. How dare they steal my surname,” he unfastened his belt, his eyes locked with the tall building towering over them.

“It's just a really common surname...” Nico murmured, cocking his head to take a look at the building himself.

Percy cleared his throat casually. “Don't fuck this up, please. No heads hanging from the wall.”

“But-”

“No. _Heads_. Hanging from the wall,” Percy repeated with a serious expression. He then filled two of his semi-automatics up, two black Smith  & Wesson's with silencer. He smiled, hiding them in the internal pockets of his coat. “Let's do this.”

The Cousins stepped out of the car, wearing their famous terrifying facial expressions: icy eyes, thin lips, general gorgeousness. They were dressed to be the opposite of the other: Nico wearing his favourite total white coat over the black suit; Percy dressed in a white shirt with light grey pants under the black coat. Neither of them had a tie.

As they walked into the huge building owned by the company, a young charming lady smiled at them from behind a glass counter.

“Welcome to Jackson and Brothers'! How can I-”

The poor lady didn't have the time to finish her sentence as she dropped to the floor. Percy had pulled Baby out to shoot at the woman directly at her head.

Nico blinked unimpressed, pulling two of his brand new Shurikens out and throwing them across the room towards the cameras hanging from the ceiling. The things weren't supposed to come back at him as a boomerang, but Nico had requested a special custom. He grabbed his Shurikens as they flew back towards him. He didn't bother hiding them again.

They took the elevator in silence, a nice jazz song playing in the background. Nico glanced at his reflection in the mirror, smiling at himself. He was gorgeous.

The door opened with a ding, and they both stepped outside in a synchronised movement.

No one was to be seen around, fact which surprised Percy. Was everyone in the conference room, already? Nice! That should be his lucky day.

The green eyed boy pointed at the big doors of the conference room across the atrium. Nico nodded in agreement. He had just destroyed another couple of security cameras.

Percy bowed with gallantry at his cousin, letting him walk towards the room before him. Nico smiled, winking at him. The taller then pulled his other semi-automatic out, the one called Dolly. He smirked evilly as Nico politely knocked on the doors.

The muffled sound of voices coming from inside the conference room interrupted. They could hear a chair screeching and then a noise of steps.

The doors opened as a man around forty years old appeared. “Monica? I told you not to-”

Nico quickly cut his throat, managing not to get his white coat dirty.

The other men and women in the room obviously started agitating, standing up from their chairs and gasping as the Cousins stepped inside the room. They were both smiling brightly.

“Hello!,” Percy smiled, raising his guns in the air for everyone to see them. “Unfortunately, we didn't get an invitation to this _killer_ party. We decided to crash. Chaos sends his regards,” Percy added with a loud voice. He then frowned as he noticed that basically everyone had frozen. “So? No one brought anything to drink? What the hell of a party is this?”

He then shrugged as he pointed his guns and started firing. Nico came to his help, cutting a few throats here and there.

Apparently, not everyone was so stupid as Percy thought. Some guests actually had weapons with them as they started responding to the fire.

Sadly for them, Percy was quicker. As always.

“Nico, watch out,” he shouted at his lover on the other side of the room, who was busy beheading an old lady with a Shuriken Kunai Percy hadn't noticed him pulling out.

That inferno suddenly interrupted. Percy and Nico had both stopped their massacre, staring at the few people who had survived, trembling in a corner. Percy smiled charmingly at them, kneeling down and cocking his head to a side.

“Okay. So, that's the deal. Listen to me very carefully,” he started.

An old man gulped hard. “W-what do you want?”

Percy huffed an amused chuckle. That could have been fun. “See. It's not about what _we_ want. It's about what Chaos wants. Where is Elias Jackson? My boss wants to see him. Dead or alive.”

“I-I don't know,” the old man muttered.

Percy went serious. He shot at a crying woman on the opposite side of the room, looking back at the man again. “I asked a question. I expect something better than _I don't know_. I'll give you another chance to think about it. Where is Elias Jackson?”

The man started crying, raising his hands in defence. He was shaking. “I swear, I don't know! He was here just ten minutes ago. I don't know, please!”

Nico chuckled. He was standing behind his cousin with a hand on his hip. His coat was still surprisingly white. “Liar, liar, pants on fire...”

Percy rolled his eyes. “All right.” He stood up and simply killed the man, eliciting screams from the other hostages. “Sorry, I never give a third chance.”

A woman curled up near the man who had just died. She then rose her eyes at Percy. She was trembling, though there was something threatening about her expression. “You two... you are going _straight_ to hell!”

Nico smiled, putting a hand on his chest. “Aw! That's adorable, _thank you_!”

Percy nodded in agreement, kneeling down again to look at the woman. “What's your name, darling?”

The woman's lips reduced to a thin line. “Claire.”

“Now, Claire,” Percy smiled, “you are lovely. But we also need to know where that motherfucker is. As I told you, my boss wants him. Dead or alive.”

Claire smirked, fact which Percy didn't like. “Kill me. I don't care. There's God waiting for you. I'll never tell you where he is.”

Nico's happiness faltered, transforming into anger. “Honey, kill this fucking bitch.”

“There, there, Nico,” Percy calmly turned around, grinning at his lover. “We liked her ten seconds ago. Leave this to me.”

Nico snorted, looking at his nails. His hands were still perfectly clean. “Fine. Hurry up. I'm hungry.”

Percy nodded, turning towards Claire again. “You said God is waiting for us?” The woman didn't blink. “Okay. So, you believe in hell and heaven and all that stuff? Sins have to be punished, and good people are going to have Mimosas for the eternity and watch TV shows without paying for Netflix? It's okay. It's comforting. I get it.”

Claire frowned, curling up to herself a bit more.

“But you know what? This kinda looks like hell, already. Don't you think? Have you asked yourself why all this is happening to you, today? Maybe you should reconsider your life choices. Your beliefs.” Percy shrugged.

“Never,” Claire murmured.

“Dear Lord! Just make a fucking hole in her forehead!” Nico shouted.

Percy snorted at Claire, pointing at his cousin over his shoulder. “He's impatient. Can you see that? You don't want to get him mad, believe me. Maybe God wants you to tell me where Elias Jackson is.”

“He doesn't.” The woman intensely glared at Percy, a challenge in her eyes.

Percy took a deep, resigned breath. He then started shaking his head. “Claire, Claire, Claire... You really should have listened to me.”

She smirked. “You should listen to me yourself. If I were you, I'd beware of Chaos. He's not the man you think he is.”

Suddenly, one of Nico's Shurikens planted directly in the wall through the woman's chest.

Percy widened his mouth in shock, standing up to his feet. “Nico! We were having a chat here!”

“She fucking asked for it,” Nico walked towards the woman, getting his Shuriken back. Claire's dead body slowly slid to the floor, leaving blood smears along the wall.

Percy sighed heavily, casually wiping his coat. As he glanced around him in the conference room, he counted a total of four people still alive. “Fine. I guess we have to interrogate everyone. Is there a volunteer?”

The four people remaining in the room started either crying or panicking, curling up to themselves against the walls. There was a young man under the long conference table, too. Percy reduced his eyes to a thin line, trying to study an action plan. Probably no one was going to reveal them anything. Also, the cops were on their way to the building already, there was no doubt of it. They had two options: the first one implied they killed everyone on the spot and go back to their headquarters; the second implied they killed everyone anyway and go look for Elias Jackson themselves. He had to be in the building. Percy had seen Nico checking all the exit doors while making their way to the conference room.

The bastard was hiding somewhere, on that floor.

“That's what we're going to do,” Percy started, talking directly to Nico. “You stay here and keep an eye on everyone. I'll go look for Elias myself. And remember-”

“No heads on the wall. Yeah, yeah,” Nico waved a hand at him in boredom. “Go.”

Percy arched an eyebrow at him with sarcasm. “I mean it. If I find a _single fucking head_ hanging on a wall, we're not going to have sex for a month. Think about it very carefully.”

Nico bit his lower lip. “Not even a hand or something?”

“Nothing. Can you do it for me?” Percy stroked Nico's arms with affection.

“Yes. I promise. No things on walls.” Nico smiled widely.

“Good boy,” the green eyed boy ruffled the other's hair. “Count five minutes starting from now. Then you can come looking for me.”

Percy walked out of the room, feeling a bit upset about leaving Nico on his own. It had happened before to work separately, but he preferred to have the kid by his side. Nico was perfectly able to take care of himself, but he had a tendency to forget about responsibilities when he was having fun.

Walking down the corridor, Percy put Dolly away and refilled Baby instead. He then pointed the gun in front of him, kicking every door open and looking for the man his boss wanted to see.

Dead, or alive.

He had to freeze when he reached the bathroom. He was sure he had just heard something coming from one of the cubicles.

Percy smirked to himself. Really? Hiding in the bathroom? That was so cliché.

He started slowly knocking on every door. “Ely, Ely, Ely? Where are you? C'mon. Don't play hide and seek with me. You know I'm gonna win. Let's have a-”, he held his breath. He was a hundred percent sure he had just seen a foot moving in the crack of the last door.

Percy chuckled lowly, slamming it open and pointing the gun at the man's forehead.

Elias Jackson was curled up on the toilet bowl, his own gun pointed at Percy.

Percy's smile faded to live place to a serious look. “C'mon, Elias. We both know what's going to happen. Come with me to see Chaos. Let's have a chat.”

Elias spit at him, his saliva ending on Percy's coat.

Percy's gaze slowly lowered to his shoulder. Then, his eyes jerked towards him again. “You motherfucker,” he hissed, “this is Armani. Are you aware?”

“Chaos can wipe my ass,” Elias smirked amusedly. “Sending the Cousins after me won't make any difference. I'm telling him exactly nothing.”

“Are you coming with me or not? You know I have the order 'dead or alive', yes?” Percy cocked his head, loading Baby and preparing himself to shoot at the man.

“I'm not going anywhere,” Elias loaded his own gun.

Percy smiled evilly. “Dead it is!”

Without giving Elias a single chance to understand what was going on, a Shuriken Kunai planted between his eyes. The man fell dead on the toilet bowl and then on the floor.

Percy sighed, turning around. “He wasn't going to talk anyway.”

Nico shrugged, grabbing a bit of toilet paper to clean Percy's coat. “I'm aware. And he ruined your coat. I paid this thing two thousand dollars, for fuck's sake.”

“The hostages?”

Nico threw the toilet paper at the man on the floor, stepping outside the bathroom with Percy in tow. “Oh, we had a little game. Can't wait to show you!” He quickly turned around as they walked, winking at Percy with joy.

Percy rolled his eyes. “I knew it.”

Nico clapped his hands, slamming the doors of the conference room open. Percy had to sigh in exasperation.

“Okay, well. You actually stuck to the rules. There aren't things hanging from the wall. I guess you're safe.” Percy crossed his arms on his chest, checking the room with a grin.

Four heads hung from the ceiling fan.

“Do you like it? Are we going to have sex?” Nico asked, leaving a sweet kiss on his lover's cheek.

Percy laughed, wrapping an arm around Nico and directing them towards the elevator. “Yes. And yes.”

They stepped in the elevator, kissing wildly as soon as the doors closed.

** **

Nico was staring at the ceiling in silence, playing with his hair. He couldn't sleep. Percy was slightly snoring next to him, not giving him the chance to have a chat. He didn't want to wake him up; their workday had been tiring. Percy needed to rest.

Though, Nico couldn't help but re-working that weird lady's words in his head. What was her name again? Claire. _I'd beware of Chaos_. What did that mean? What was Chaos up to?

Obviously, the powerful man was dangerous and unpredictable – just as the two of them were -, but Nico didn't want to believe he hid things from them. Chaos shared information with almost everyone of his killers at the headquarters; especially with the Cousins. They knew he wanted Zeus dead, him and all his allies. That had been the reason of that massacre, today. The Greek man was the only obstacle to reach the absolute power over San Francisco.

So why couldn't Nico stop over-thinking? Also considering the fact that Percy didn't seem to mind about it. Not even a bit.

Nico tossed and turned again, snorting loudly to himself. He knew he wasn't going to sleep at all that night.

“Baby,” Percy murmured, his face almost completely pressed against the pillow. “Sleep.” He was drooling a bit.

“Yes,” Nico answered quietly, feeling a bit guilty for waking him up unintentionally.

Percy mumbled something Nico didn't catch and then rolled to his side to wrap an arm around his waist. He smiled faintly, his eyes still closed. “Better like this?”

Nico smiled with affection, stroking his hand on Percy's cheek. “A lot better. Go back to sleep.”

Percy nodded almost imperceptibly, falling asleep seconds later. Nico kept staring at his closed eyes, his lips curved in the sweetest of the smiles. He then brushed his fingers on Percy's arm around him, trying to calm himself a bit.

He didn't have to worry about anything, after all. Until the moment Percy was going to be next to him, Nico was safe. And Percy was going to be next to him forever.

Their pact was clear. If one of them was going to die, he wasn't going to die alone.

They were going to die together.

** **

Percy entered the spacious garage definitely aware of the gazes he was earning. He crooked an evil smile, his hands slid in the pockets of his dark blue suit, accompanied by the noise of his labelled shoes hitting the ground with his every step.

His co-workers withdrew as he walked past them, freeing the passage for him. One had to be completely stupid to stand in Percy Jackson's way. Literally and figuratively.

One of the girls in the garage stared at him with dreamy eyes.

He _was_ gorgeous.

As Percy stopped his fashion walk in front of a red 1998 Jaguar, he cleared his throat amusedly. At his feet, a pair of legs popped out from under the car. He knew who those legs belonged to. He had been looking for that motherfucker for the whole morning.

Percy bent forward, trying to take a look at what his friend was doing under that car. “Knock knock, there.”

A curly haired boy with tanned skin appeared in front of his eyes. He was laying on a cart, a dirty rag in a hand, a wrench in the other. The boy stood up, wiping his jeans distractedly and throwing the utensils on a worktable next to the car. “I thought to smell expensive shoes in here. And there you are.”

Percy chuckled. “Leo. Where the fuck have you been? I haven't seen you since the day you brought Sexy to my place.”

Leo Valdez was probably the only human being on Earth – Nico excluded – not to be afraid of Percy. He could talk to him freely without fearing for his life. No one knew why, but the green eyed boy was weirdly fond of the Latino.

“Sexy? That's how you called the Beretta?” Leo clicked his tongue in amusement. “I like it. How did Nico take it?”

“He limited himself to put salt in my coffee.”

Leo threw his head back, laughing at his friend's words. The two started walking towards the back of the garage where a door leaded inside the villa. Leo unlocked it with his card, letting Percy in before him.

Percy winked at the boy. “So, what have you been up to, lately?”

Leo opened the bathroom door, stepping inside as Percy leaned with his shoulder against the door-frame. He washed his hands distractedly. “Have you heard about that bombing thing in San Bruno?”

Percy nodded once.

The Latino wiped his hands with a smile, his head jerking towards Percy with satisfaction. “Me.”

Percy bowed in appreciation, accompanying the gesture with a whistle. “My compliments! What for?”

“We killed Zeus's aunt and her son. And their driver.” Leo stepped forward, leaning against the wall in front of Percy. The two were really close. “I studied this engine for weeks. I built it so that it would activate just after covering the distance of thirty kilometres.”

Percy frowned in confusion, earning a snort from Leo. In fact, the boy rolled his eyes. “Around 18 miles, okay?”

Percy giggled. “Okay.”

“So, picture this in your head. You've been driving for half an hour, when suddenly something starts ticking. Insistently. And you have no idea of what it is. You're in the middle of the street, trapped in the traffic, so it's not like you can get out of the car to check. And then, you explode. Poof.”

Percy whistled again. “Wicked!”

“I know. Chaos gifted me the Jaguar you just saw. My new daughter.” Leo chuckled as they walked past Percy, heading to the kitchen.

Percy patted him on a shoulder. “Really good.”

As they entered the kitchen, Silena widely smiled at them. She seemed to be a little uncomfortable around Percy, though. “Are you guys hungry?”

Leo nodded. “Yes, please. Maybe a sandwich?”

Percy shook his head.

The woman cracked a warm smile. “Immediately.” She then started rummaging in the fridge.

Leo and Percy sat at the table, the Latino staring at his friend. “What about Elias Jackson, instead?”

Percy's eyes darkened. “Which part of his body?”

Leo chuckled, crossing his arms on his chest. “Very nice. Nico?”

“Hairdresser,” the green eyed boy casually waved a hand in the air. “He said something about needing a haircut.”

“You know. Rumour has it he did something Chaos didn't like. What happened?” Leo asked in seriousness as Silena put a dish in front of him. He then grabbed his turkey sandwich and basically devoured it.

Percy's forehead furrowed. “Is this about the heads on the ceiling fan?”

Leo froze on the spot. “... What?”

“Forget it. It's about something else, then.” Percy crossed his arms and leaned against the backrest. He didn't have the time to relax though, because his phone started to ring. He grabbed it from his pocket and answered the call. “Jackson. Yes. Okay. See you there.”

Percy stood up, deadpan. Leo fidgeted a bit, he had to admit.

“What happened?”

“Nico and Chaos are waiting for me upstairs. We'll talk later.” Percy patted Leo on a shoulder and didn't wait for an answer.

Leo limited himself to nod, looking at the young man's back turning down the corridor. He sighed to himself with the hope that everything was going to be all right.

** **

“Nico, I don't care! You can't kill whoever you dislike! This is about respect. Do you understand?!”

Chaos shouted, slamming his palms on the desk with a frightening look. Percy and Nico didn't look impressed, though.

“One of my security guards disappeared, but it doesn't take a scientist to find out what happened to him, doesn't it?! Travis found his head nailed to the fucking ceiling of lab seventeen! The _fucking_ ceiling! And no one can actually tell me _when_ the thing got there!”

Percy looked at his cousin slowly. Nico blinked at their boss without saying a word.

Chaos snorted heavily, dropping on his chair and rubbing his eyes. “You've got to stop. I can find a man in the blink of an eye, but it's starting to get annoying. Have I made myself clear?” The man glared at Nico.

Anyone in their right mind would have nodded frantically, probably peeing in their pants. Nico limited himself to shrug.

“You can go. Percy, we need to talk. You can tell Nico about this later. I need us to be alone, now.” Chaos looked deadly serious.

Nico cocked his head without saying a word, standing up from his chair and closing the door behind his back as he stepped outside the office.

“To his defence, no one liked Butch.” Percy shrugged in an exact replica of his cousin.

“Percy,” Chaos leaned forward, his hands on the desk surface. “You're the... _logical_ cousin, I guess. You know how to slow down. And you're the only one Nico actually listens to. Please, I'm asking you this as a personal favour. Make him stop. Could you do that?”

Percy's eyebrow rose dangerously. “I could.”

Chaos sighed, falling back against the chair. “Thank you. Now, I've got a new assignment for you. I'll give Nico his assignment later.”

“Just tell me one thing.” Percy leaned forward, crossing his hands over the desk without even blinking. Chaos had to swallow hard, trying not to think about Percy's guns hid under the jacket of his suit. “Is there anything you want to tell me about what happened two days ago? At the Jackson and Brothers'? You can think about it for a couple of minutes, if you want.”

Chaos and Percy's eyes locked. Chaos's look was undecipherable. A heavy hush fell in the room.

Chaos regretted not having his bodyguards in the room. He took a breath. “I don't think so. Do you have anything in particular in mind?”

Percy studied the man in front of him with a faint smirk. He hadn't bought none of his shit. “No. All right, then.” He took a pause. Chaos fidgeted on his chair. “What about my assignment?”

Chaos nodded, grabbing a folder from his desk and opening it, throwing a couple of pictures towards Percy. “Okay. Listen to me very carefully.”

Percy's smile grew wider.

** **

Nico chuckled when Percy spread his legs on the mattress, attacking his neck and trying to devour it. He tangled his fingers in his hair, tilting his head to steal a kiss.

Their tongues battled together as Percy pushed inside of him under the blankets, eliciting sweet moans from Nico's mouth.

Percy's thrusts were studied, intending to hit Nico's prostate every single time. The younger boy threw his head back against the pillow, dragging Percy's face to his neck and screaming loudly. “Percy, tell me you'll never leave me!”

Percy moaned, his hands gripping Nico's hips tightly to keep him put. “I'll never leave you.”

“Tell me you love me...” Nico sighed in pleasure. Percy was licking his neck, pumping between his legs rhythmically.

“I love you.” Percy pecked on his lips teasingly. “I love everything about you.”

“Do you want me?” Nico asked desperately, his forehead contracted in the effort of not coming too soon. His hands were cupping Percy's face.

“I want you. I want you forever... I want to rule the world with you. I'll kill everyone who'll try to separate us, Nico, I fucking will,” Percy moaned, pushing his dick inside Nico's warmth with renewed passion.

“I want dead bodies as far as the eye can see. And I want it to be because of you... would you do that for me?” Nico cried in pleasure, feeling his orgasm closer by the second.

“I'd do anything for you. The ground flooded in blood. Just for you,” Percy buried his face in the crook between Nico's shoulder and collarbone, thrusting hard and fucking him straight into their orgasms.

They screamed shamelessly as the headboard banged against the wall, following their rhythm as they came together. A tear crossed Nico's cheek. Percy was kissing his neck tenderly, slackening his movements between his legs.

“Why are you crying?” Percy asked with his after-sex raspy voice, kissing all the way up from Nico's neck to his chin, his cheek and then his mouth.

“I don't want to die alone,” Nico cried in the silence of the night, holding Percy closer to him. “Promise me it won't happen.”

Percy looked at the young man under him in total seriousness. “You know it won't. We have a deal. You die, I die. We'll be together.”

Nico nodded frantically, dragging his face down for a kiss. As they separated and looked at each other in the eyes, Nico knew there was nothing to be scared about.

Percy was there for him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish you all a wonderful weekend and a Happy Halloween! :D


	3. No Way Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'll start posting on Friday mornings 'cause my schedule at work changed! Not a big deal, though (I hope!).
> 
> Thanks for reading <3

Jason opened his bottle of meds and threw two of them in his mouth, swallowing them with a glass of water. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, noticing the huge black circles under his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept for a whole night.

Since the Cousins had become new members of their staff a year earlier, Jason had started having health problems. He got painful headaches, acid stomach and nervous breakdowns. Their doctor had suggested he took a week off to rest, or maybe go on a vacation, but Jason knew his problems depended on Nico di Angelo and Percy Jackson.

It happened dangerously often to find dead bodies here and there around the headquarters. Travis Stoll had found Butch's head in their laboratory just a week earlier.

The Cousins used to kill whoever they found unpleasant, fact which happened regularly. Chaos was too scared to do something about it. They had discussed that point several times. Those two were dangerous to have around, not to mention to work with. The others didn't want to work with neither of them, afraid that they could have died for putting too much sugar in _their own_ coffee.

Yes, that had happened once.

Also, Nico seemed to have a thing for him. He teased Jason on a daily basis, brushing against his body sinfully when Percy was there, able to watch. Jason was waiting for the day Percy was going to get tired of it. That day, Jason would die.

The blond started shaking at the thought. He tried to think about something else as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Then, someone entered the bathroom, working as a distraction.

Jason locked eyes with Leo through the mirror. The Latino greeted him with a nod, approaching him at the sink and turning a tap on to wash his hands.

“Sup?” Leo asked a couple of minutes later, drying his hands with a cloth.

“Same old. You?” Jason asked, failing miserably in hiding the worry on his face.

“I've got a new car,” the shorter boy answered, smiling widely at him.

Jason huffed a forced chuckle. “I could tell.”

Leo winked, still smiling. “Have you seen Percy around? I'm looking for him.”

Hearing that name, Jason's heart lost a beat. He couldn't cry in front of Leo Valdez, could he? “I don't know. Chaos called him a couple of hours ago.”

Leo nodded, noticing Jason's reaction. He stepped closer so that no one could have heard them. “You know Percy has nothing against you, right? Nico likes you. He plays with you. As long as he's gonna like having you around, Percy is not going to touch you.”

“Comforting.”

Leo went suddenly serious. He made Jason's head turn towards him with a brusque movement of his hand. “I'm not saying this to fuck around with you. Being Nico's toy is the greatest thing that could have happened to you. It's like a sort of protection. Percy doesn't mess with Nico's toys.”

Jason started openly shaking. “He's gonna get tired of it. And I'll be dead.”

“Oh, no,” Leo grinned widely. “I don't think that. Neither Percy nor Nico are going to kill us.”

The blond frowned. “Us?”

“You and I, we're lucky. Reyna is lucky. We're the Cousins' toys. We make them laugh, they find us appealing. We're their entertainment.” Leo whispered. “Don't you understand?”

“Reyna is not like us. Neither are you. They don't treat you like Nico treats me.” Jason hissed with anger. Leo didn't seem to understand.

Leo shrugged. “Still. My point doesn't change. Don't let them drive you crazy. Do you think I don't notice the way Nico glares at me when I talk to Percy? I can see his hands hitching to grab his Shurikens. But guess what? I'm still here. He's not going to kill Percy's toy.”

Jason frowned, the stress running down his body momentarily forgotten. “Nico doesn't want you dead.”

“Oh, yes. He does.” Leo whispered near his face. “I know he does. Percy is too kind with me, and Nico doesn't like it. Keep this in mind. We're on the same boat.”

Jason studied Leo for a moment. Eventually, he looked at his feet before nodding. “Thanks.”

Leo patted him a shoulder, leaving him alone in the bathroom.

His stomach hurt again.

** **

Percy whistled happily, trying to follow the rhythm of the song blasting in the car. He turned down the street, taking a quick look at the address saved on his phone. He raised an eyebrow as he turned the volume down, pulling the car over the small building. Reducing his eyes to a thin line, he blanched a bit.

That place was literally a shit hole. It looked like an abandoned condominium for rats, and seemed to be apparently empty. The benches in the garden were falling into pieces to keep company to a hideous table without a leg.

Percy knew better than to trust first impressions. Looks could be deceiving. He sighed to himself for the boredom.

Wiping his black coat distractedly, he stepped out the car. He protected his eyes with a hand from the sun, as he took a closer look at the building. Well, even the second impression was being shit. Nico would have had a lot to say about redecoration.

Percy shrugged, walking towards the front door with the same self confidence of someone who believed the world belonged to him. He shot at a security camera on his way to the deck stairs.

At least that place actually had cameras. So, maybe he was going to have fun a little.

Percy knocked on the door, rubbing his eyes absently. No one answered. He tried another knock and obtained the exact same result. Nothing.

Something wasn't right with that place.

** **

Nico walked into the office and crossed his arms with a frown. “You called?”

Chaos smiled at him from the desk. He was smoking a cigar. The room was a big foggy. “Oh, there you are. Since Percy is away, would you mind picking someone up for me? Dead or alive. I don't mind. Here's the name, and the address.” He handed Nico a piece of paper. “And be sure to kill everyone inside the store.”

Nico took the paper in his hand, frowning again. “Since _Percy_ is away? You mean he's better than me at this?” He pouted deliciously at the man, who stood up and warmly grinned at him.

Chaos wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Absolutely not, darling. He's just quicker when I need an urgent... gig.”

“Quicker,” Nico snorted, trying not to burst out laughing. “Don't repeat this to him.”

Chaos laughed gaily, patting Nico on a shoulder. “I adore you. C'mon now, I gave you an order. I'll call you two later.”

Nico nodded once with a smile, turning around and leaving the office.

** **

Percy knew how it felt to be watched. The sensation of someone's gaze on him travelled down his spine as he made his way up the first flight of stairs. He had eventually decided to kick the door open, noticing that the inside of the crumbling condominium was bare. With Baby pointed in front of him, he took a deep breath.

He took a few steps forward, and then froze. His eyes gazed up to the flight of stairs over his head.

Percy trusted his instinct blindly.

Without even giving himself the time to think about it, he rose his gun and fired in the air. He smirked widely as someone tumbled down the stairs, his dead body rolling down. Percy quickly reached the man, grabbing his gun and throwing it out the window. He then resumed his slow walk up the stairs.

Once he had reached the last floor, he turned to the door on his left. Suddenly, a loud noise of steps reached his ears coming from the stairs.

Percy cursed to himself, promptly shot the lock off and ran inside the room, slamming the door behind him. Seconds later, his opponents started shooting from what seemed like all directions. Luckily for Percy, that door was bulletproof.

Taking a look around him and breathing hard, Percy thought of a plan. His opponents were trying to get in the room, banging and shooting at the door insistently. Percy's gaze fell on a window on the other side of the room. He gulped, running towards it.

Percy shot at the glass, breaking it into pieces. As he looked out the window and over the windowsill, he noticed a huge climbing plant covering the outside wall in its entirety. The plant looked almost dead.

Cursing to himself even louder, Percy put Baby back in its pocket and climbed out the windowsill. As he gripped the plant's wooden hanger, the door inside slammed open and two men appeared in the room.

Percy cussed openly at that point, sustaining himself with a hand and pulling Baby out once more. He pointed the gun at the window over his head as he made his way down the wall, immediately shooting at the first man who appeared to his sight. The second man leaned over the windowsill and pointed his gun at him.

“Chaos sends his regards!”, the man shouted with an evil grin.

Percy's head quickly rose to him, a shocked expression crossing his face. _Chaos sent him his regards_?! That was _his_ line!

The man fired at Percy, who promptly dodged to his side. Percy rose his gun in the air and finally killed the damn bastard, who died on the spot and fell down the window and on the ground under Percy's feet.

Percy was breathing shakily. He couldn't fucking believe it. Chaos had _betrayed_ the Cousins. How stupid could a man be to do that? With a final bounce, he reached the ground and started running towards his car.

His thoughts immediately jumped to Nico.

** **

Nico pulled up to a liquor store and smiled. That was his first time killing someone in a liquor store. He turned the car off and stepped outside, taking a deep breath and walking towards the entrance. Nico entered the liquor store, a tiny bell dinging above his head.

He frowned in confusion. It was business hour. Where was everyone? There was no one behind the cash register, too.

Nico breathed calmly, pulling his Shurikens out of his coat. He smiled evilly when he noticed a movement with the corner of his eye.

“Hello?” he chanted graciously. “I know what you're thinking. I'm not in my drinking age yet, you are right. But I suppose you could turn a blind eye for me. My birthday is in a couple of months, after all.”

Nico chuckled. Someone kept moving behind the aisle on his left. “You know, you're not really smart for someone who doesn't want to-”

Nico quickly turned around, planting a Shuriken directly in a man's forehead. The old man dropped to the floor under Nico's gaze. His attacker had been holding a hammer, probably wanting to hit Nico's head.

“Oh, okay. You want to play. C'mon, talk to me. I don't bite.” Nico cracked a smile which screamed _danger_. “Well, not always. Ask my boyfriend about it.”

“You're Nico di Angelo.”

Nico's head jerked towards the direction of that voice, behind his back. He couldn't see from where it came, but he loved challenges. “I am. My boss sent me here to kill Roger Brandon. I suppose he's this man, bleeding on the floor? Well, I also have to kill his sons. How many of you are here?”

“We're three.”

Nico whistled appreciatively. “Your dad has been active.”

“He loves his family,” the mysterious man answered him

“Frank, shut up. Don't tell him anything about us,” another voice scolded, making Nico smiling as he stood still.

“The bastard just killed our father. He's not going to survive today!” The first brother said, his anger clearly audible as his voice rose.

 _'Keep talking_ , _motherfucker_ s _...'_ Nico thought, turning around with a smirk.

“I know what he did!” The second man shouted back. “You have to shut it anyway! Don't you understand? He's gonna tell everything to his boss!”

“The kid here needs a-”

Frank choked on his words all of a sudden. Nico had found him following the sound of his voice. As the man's body fell against the aisle behind which he had been hiding, a couple of bottles crashed on the ground.

“Frank?! Frank! You bastard just killed him! Where are you?!” The second brother shouted in panic.

Nico didn't answer, hiding behind a large pile of beers. He wore his wrist crossbow in concentration, biting his lower lip amusedly. He was going to have fun, that was for sure.

“You killed my brother! He is powerful, did you know that?! They're gonna look for you!”

“You mean _was,_ ” Nico began, appearing from behind his hiding spot. “He's a bit dead.” Nico turned to his left, shooting an arrow in the second brother's chest as he appeared with a gun in hand. Obviously enough, the man dropped to the floor.

Nico frowned in admiration, staring at the dead body at his feet. “Oh, this is sweet. You look just like your father. I guess luck runs in the family.”

He moved forward, looking for the third brother. “Hello there? C'mon, darling, Where are you? I thought you wanted to have a chat with me... I haven't heard your voice, yet. But I'd really like to.”

Turning round a corner, Nico froze. A kid around eleven or twelve years old was curled up to himself, his knees to his chest, shaking in fear. He looked up at Nico as he cried shamelessly. Nico huffed a heavy sigh, shaking his head to himself. He then knelt down to look at the kid in front of him.

“Hey. What's your name?”

The kid sniffed loudly. “Michael.”

Nico nodded with a smile. “Michael Brandon?”

Michael's lips trembled. He didn't say a word.

“Those were your brothers, weren't they?” The kid nodded, and Nico had to sigh again. “Oh my, my, Michael. I have precise orders from my boss. Are you aware? Your father didn't give us a lot of money. For a long time. We just got tired of it, you understand?”

Michael's eyes widened in panic at the realisation of what Nico meant. “D-don't kill me, please,” he muttered to himself, curling up against the wall a bit more.

Nico frowned as he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was Percy. “Would you wait a moment, Michael? Thanks,” he slid a finger on the screen, bringing the phone to his ear. “Hey, sexy man.”

“ _Nico, where are you?_ ”

Nico took a look around him with sarcasm, forgetting about the fact that Percy couldn't see him. “A liquor store?”

“ _What are you doing?_ ”

“Chilling. Killing.” Nico giggled to himself. He could almost see his cousin roll his eyes on the other side of the phone.

“ _Nico, listen to me now. Get out of there. Go home. We need to talk. Nico, I mean it. Get out of there._ ”

“Percy?” Nico's smile slid off of his face. “What happened? I'm doing fine.”

“ _Chaos fucked around with us. He's planning to get rid of us._ ”

Nico's breathing started accelerating. “Chaos sent me here. What are you talking about?”

“ _Get out of there. Now. See you at the apartment._ ”

“Wait!”

“ _Nico, I swear to God-_ ”

“No, _listen_! God has nothing to do with this. That lady at the Jackson and Brothers'. Do you remember what she said? She tried to warn us, the bitch. For fuck's sake, I've been thinking about this for days!” Nico grunted in anger. “I knew I had to talk to you about it. You didn't notice.”

“ _I did notice. I just kept quiet. You looked scared._ ”

“Scared?! Percy, have you ever seen me scared?”

Percy went silent for a short while. He sighed on the other side of the phone. “ _You know I have._ ”

Nico shook his head. “Damn it, Percy. What now?”

“ _The apartment._ ”

Percy closed the phone call without any warning, leaving Nico alone with his thoughts. When he turned towards Michael, the kid was pointing a gun at his head.

Nico held his breath instantly.

** **

The sound of steps echoed up the flight of stairs as Jason reached the atrium attached to his boss' office. The blond took a deep breath, knocking against the white door exactly twice. The coffee cup he was holding was shaking because of his hands.

A voice coming from inside the office let him in, and Jason opened the door just to close it behind his back seconds later. He cleared his throat. Chaos was staring out the window, the back of his chair directed at Jason.

“Sir, you called me? Here's your coffee,” the blond put the cup on his boss's desk.

Chaos slowly turned his chair around, looking at the young man in front of him. He cracked a creepy smile which sent chills down Jason's spine. “Have a seat. I've got something interesting to tell you. I'm sure you'll like it.”

Jason nodded, sitting down on a chair in front of the mahogany desk. “All right. What is this about?”

“I want you to print Nico and Percy's folders for me, I want you to label them with theirs names, and then I want you to put them in that cabinet.” The man pointed at a cabinet on his right. He was smiling faintly. “Remember to respect the alphabetical order.”

Jason's throat dried in an instant. “Sir. That's where you put your victims' folders.”

“I'm aware.”

Jason's heart started beating fast. “Are they dead, sir?”

Chaos chuckled lowly. “They will be very soon. By this evening, I hope.”

Jason stared at the man with incredulity. His chest was rising and falling quickly. “That's good news.”

“If they won't... we'll find another way.”

Jason nodded in agreement. “It was the right decision, sir. My compliments. We had to do something about them. Butch's head...”

Chaos waved a hand at him. “Ah, don't even mention it. They're gonna pay for every single man of the staff they killed. Don't worry about it.”

Jason nodded again. He then stood up, wiping his jeans in the process.

“Where are you going?”

Jason smiled genuinely. “Warming the printer.”

Chaos burst out laughing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shits about 2 go down #yolo


	4. Murder Was The Case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that cliffhanger. It won't happen again.
> 
>  ~~Maybe~~.

Percy was sitting on his new grey couch. He was still wearing his coat, looking vaguely zoned out as he stared at the carpet. Closing his eyes slowly, he tried to take calming breaths.

Chaos wanted them dead. Okay, he could have dealt with that. _They_ could have dealt with that. Now, his main problem was another one. _Where the fuck was Nico?_

The answer to his questions came unexpectedly fast. The door of their apartment slammed open as Nico shoved a kid Percy had never seen inside. As the door closed again, Percy stood up with a raised eyebrow. He crossed his arms on his chest calmly.

“Who the fuck is this kid?”

Nico literally threw his coat on the floor, pacing back and forth the living room in total madness. The weapons hanging from his belt were swinging with his every movement. “He tried to kill me. Can you believe it? Kill _me_.”

The kid swallowed hard, trying to avoid Percy's gaze.

Percy's eyebrow rose even higher. “Excuse me?” He looked slightly amused.

Nico grabbed the kid by his shirt and shoved him against Percy, who promptly grabbed him before he could have fallen on the ground. “I want this kid dead. Now. I want to drink a Margarita, sit on my new amazing couch, put Benny Goodman on and _enjoy the show of his torture_.”

Percy snorted in exasperation, letting go of the kid, who looked beyond terrified. “We can work on that. But _who_ is he?!”

“Michael Brandon. Third son of Roger Brandon. And guess what I found out?” Nico threw a Shuriken across the room, planting it directly next to the kid's face and in the wall. Michael's hand flew to his cheek with a gasp. When he looked at his fingers, he noticed they were covered in blood.

Percy didn't blink. “What?”

Nico pointed at the kid, locking eyes with Percy. “The Brandon family is related to Frederick Chase. These assholes work for Zeus. Well, they did before I killed them. Do you understand what this means?”

Percy's head slowly turned to where Michael was standing against the wall. A trickle of blood streamed down his neck. “Chaos paid them to kill you.”

“Chaos,” Nico stepped forward, so close to Percy that their noses brushed against one another. “Chaos paid them to kill me. _Exactly_. Zeus's allies. Can you fucking believe it?”

“I wonder if Zeus knows about this.”

“Sure as shit he does!” Nico shouted. Percy didn't remember having ever seen him so angry in his whole life.

“Nico, use your brain. Chaos probably hates us, and I get it. But making an alliance with Zeus because of us? That's just too much. It's _crazy_.” Percy grabbed Nico's shoulders. “Chaos is everything but crazy. We spent the last months trying to destroy Zeus.”

Nico widened his arms with a question crossing his face. “And look at what happened! What are we supposed to do now?!”

“Play dumb. Go back to the headquarters. See what Chaos is planning next. We don't have to make him understand that we know.”

Nico's eyes reduced to a thin line. “Are you _fucking_ out of your mind?”, he whispered against Percy's lips. “Percy. We have to kill them all.”

“Not yet”, Percy whispered back, brushing their lips together. He then gave him a quick kiss. “Calm down. We need a plan.” He finally remembered he still wore a coat. He got rid of it, placing it on the couch backrest and turning around to look at Michael. “What are we gonna do with you?”

Michael's eyes widened in shock as he noticed four guns hanging from Percy's sides and under his armpits. Percy chuckled at the sight of him. “Do you like my Smith & Wessons? I have another couple of them in my coat. Wanna see?”

“We can't let him go. He's gonna tell everything to Zeus. He has to die, Percy.” Nico grabbed his white coat from the floor, hanging it near the front door entrance.

Michael was trembling.

Percy smirked widely, an idea forming in his mind. “Oh, no. We'll keep him alive for now. We could make a great use of him.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “Percy, I'm kinda sure your idea is called paedophilia.”

Percy rolled his eyes in exasperation, turning to glare at him with widened arms. “What the fuck is wrong with you?! _Blackmail_ was my idea. You basket case. Go see a doctor.”

Nico chuckled. He hugged Percy from behind, resting his head against his back. “I can't even make a joke. Though, how are you planning to keep him here?”

“That's called kidnap.” Percy stroked Nico's arms around him with a faint smile. They were both studying Michael's figure against the wall with scientific interest. “He's short.”

Nico shrugged. “He's twelve years old.”

“Really? So innocent.”

“He pointed a gun at my forehead.”

“So precocious.”

Nico chuckled, letting go of Percy's waist and reaching Michael next to the library. He took his Shuriken back from the wall, cleaning it distractedly on his pants. “We need to hang a picture here.”

Percy hummed in agreement. “Yeah. There's a hole in the middle of the wall. Wallpaper maybe?”

“Nah. I don't like the idea. A picture should do it... Ah!” Nico turned around with brightened eyes. “A picture of us, maybe! Also, have you thought about buying a cat? I asked you weeks ago.”

Percy huffed an amused laugh, falling down on the couch. “No. It would ruin my precious furniture. Goddamn, do you remember how much it all costed? You should be mad.”

Michael stared at them, his eyes jerking back and forth from Percy to Nico. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Were those two serious? They seemed totally crazy to him.

“Percy, please!” Nico prayed him, falling on his knees over-dramatically at Percy's feet. “A black kitten, with yellow eyes and absolutely adorable!” He put his hands on Percy's knees, shaking them to get his attention.

Percy was filling Baby, apparently unaware of the boy pouting at him. “No.”

Nico sulked even more. “We could call it Inferno. Or something else. I'll make you choose.” He slightly spread Percy's knees in front of him. “Mh?”

Percy's eyes jerked down at where Nico's hands were travelling up his thighs. “No.”

Nico bit his lower lip with a mischievous smirk. His hands were massaging Percy's inner thighs, ridiculously close to his crotch. “It'd be so cute. It'd jump on our bed at night for cuddles. It'd purr at us while we watch TV. Percy, c'mon.”

Percy loaded his gun, pointing it against Nico's forehead. Nico didn't bat an eyelash. “No.”

“Maybe you don't like the colour? We could have a white cat. It doesn't have to be black. I figured you would like it black.” Nico unbuckled Percy's belt, totally unaware of the cold iron pressing against his forehead.

Percy's eyes travelled to Michael curled up to the library. The kid had his eyes fixed on Percy's gun. “Turn around. Face against the wall.”

Michael gulped with difficulty, doing how he was told. His shaking figure was now face-pressed against the wall.

Percy's attention moved to Nico again. “There's a minor in the room.”

Nico chuckled, zipping Percy's pants down. Baby was still pointed at him. “Let's make a deal. If I manage to make you come within five minutes – no, let's make it four – you're gonna buy me a cat.”

“What if you don't?” Percy's finger tensed on the trigger.

Nico went deadly serious, gazing up at him. “You kill me.”

Percy's eyebrow rose dangerously. “I hope you'd be ready to pull your Shuriken out fast, then.”

“Don't worry. You'd be dead in the fraction of a second.”

“Done deal.” Percy took a look at his expensive wristwatch. “You can start... now.”

Nico smiled widely, pulling Percy's dick out of his underwear. He swallowed it immediately, pumping it in his fist at the same time of his mouth's movements. His hand started following the movement of his head, keeping it at a steady space for a while. Percy moaned deliciously, pressing the gun against Nico's forehead a bit harder.

Three minutes.

Creating a suction around Percy's cock, Nico made his hands travelling down Percy's thighs to massage them as he sucked his dick fast and with practice. Percy threw his head back against the couch, moaning obscenely loud. Nico's mouth around his manhood was provoking a series of sloppy and unequivocal sounds, which Percy loved with all his heart.

The green eyed boy glanced at his watch. Two minutes left.

Nico's movements sped up as his hands moved to Percy's chest. Percy's hips jerked up, fucking into his mouth repeatedly. Percy was already so close that he could feel it in every muscle of his body. Nico's mouth was warm and wet and perfect, welcoming his thrusts without any effort.

One minute.

“Fuck, Nico,” Percy groaned loudly, pressing Baby against his head. “Hurry up.”

Nico moaned with Percy's dick inside his mouth, sending vibrations along his shaft.

Thirty seconds.

“Yes! Don't stop!” Percy screamed. Nico was pumping his dick in his fist again while he sucked it.

Ten seconds.

“Yes, yes! Oh, _God_!” Percy threw his gun on the couch to grab Nico's head with in his hands, keeping him put as he came hard down his throat. “Fuck,” he panted, his eyes shut and his forehead contracted in pure pleasure.

Nico sucked his dick one last time from base to tip. When he locked eyes with Percy, he was wiping his lips with a hand. “I already told you God has nothing to do with this. Also... I want the cat to be black. Short fur, possibly. I expect you to buy food and everything, too.”

Percy sighed, closing his pants and standing up from the couch. Nico smiled with happiness and rested his chin and arms on the couch, looking up at him as he walked towards Michael. The kid was still face-pressed against the wall.

Grabbing the kid's shoulder to turn him around, Percy cocked his head. “What about we go shopping?”

Michael stared at him in shock, gazing beyond Percy's back from time to time to take quick looks at Nico. Had those two just...? “Um. Yes?”

Percy sighed again. “Fine. We need to get you clothes.”

Michael's eyebrow rose.

** **

Jason was working on his laptop when he got the phone call. He took a sip of his hot tea distractedly, eyes fixed on the screen, and then grabbed his phone. His glasses being momentarily steamed up, he didn't bother to check who that was.

“Grace,” he answered as a habit.

“ _Hey, awesome. How are you doing?_ ”

Jason literally froze, feeling the world disappearing under his feet. His hand almost lost the grip on the tea cup. Was the room supposed to be spinning?

“H-hi, Nico. I'm fine. Do you need... anything?”

The Cousins were alive. Chaos' trap hadn't worked. The question was: did they know how things really were? Were they aware of Chaos's betray? Much to his dread, Jason guessed they were going to find out really soon.

“ _You don't ask me how I'm doing?_ ”

A heavy hush fell between them. Jason didn't know which game Nico di Angelo was playing. Truth to be told, no one ever knew.

He decided to pretend everything was as always.

“Um, sure. How are you, Nico?” Jason gulped heavily. He could almost see Nico's smile on the other side of the phone.

“ _Amazingly great! Actually, I do need something. But I love talking to you, don't get me wrong._ ”

Jason cleared his throat in embarrassment, with the hope that Percy wasn't listening to their conversation. But really, who was he fooling? Percy _surely_ was listening to their conversation. “Okay. What is it?”

“ _I need you to check the Brandon family on that magic laptop of yours. I killed Roger Brandon and his sons today, but I want to know more about them. They're related to Frederick Chase, aren't they?_ ”

Jason closed his eyes slowly. He thought to hear Percy giggling while Nico talked to him. Did they know _or not_? The blond couldn't figure it out.

“S-sure. Gimme a second...”, he muttered, putting his tea cup down. He then placed his phone between his shoulder and ear, typing on the keyboard with shaky hands.

“ _I can give you more than a second, Jay,_ ” Nico giggled teasingly, sending chills down Jason's spine.

He simply hated that.

“Roger Brandon. There he is. Wife: Coraline Chase Brandon, deceased three years ago. Sons... Frank, Christopher and Michael Brandon,” Jason read from the screen. He then gulped hard. “Status of them all... dead.”

Nico huffed an amused laugh on the other side. “ _I know that. Coraline Chase Brandon, you said? She's Frederick's sister?_ ”

Jason nodded before remembering Nico couldn't see him. Luckily, he thought. “Yes. Frederick Chase's only living related person is his daughter, now that you... well, now that you killed his nephews and his brother in law.”

“ _I guess he doesn't care anymore, since he's dead himself._ ”

“I guess,” Jason mumbled almost to himself.

“ _You're lovely, Jay. I can't wait to see you at dinner. Silena promised us meatloaf._ ”

Jason blanched. “You-you are coming here for dinner? Both of you?”

Nico paused before answering. “ _Yes. Nothing new, right?_ ”

“Of course. See you at dinner.”

Nico sent him a loud kiss before closing the phone call. Jason was still shaking on his chair, the laptop completely forgotten. His tea laid cold on the desk in desolation.

If the Cousins were going to show up that evening, there was no way they knew about Chaos's plan to get rid of them. No one was that stupid.

Right?

** **

Nico closed the phone call, falling back against the chair in the kitchen. His phone was laying on the table around which Percy, Michael and him sat.

Percy was sitting on Nico's left, legs and arms crossed, with a brooding expression. His eyes were undecipherable as he stared at the wooden surface of the table.

Nico clicked his tongue and gazed at Michael in front of them, who was eating a sandwich in silence. “Guess who we have here, Percy.”

Percy smirked evilly at the kid. “Annabeth Chase's cousin. Delicious.”

“How much do you think Zeus would pay to have him back?” Nico pursed his lips in concentration, thinking about his own question as he kept staring at the kid.

Michael ate his sandwich in silence. He was wearing a black suit which Percy and Nico had bought for him that afternoon.

“I don't want money. We have a lot of that.” Percy waved a hand at Nico distractedly. “Michael? How much does Zeus care for his granddaughter's cousin?”

Michael shrugged in genuine obliviousness.

“In my opinion, a lot. Also considering that we almost killed his whole family, already,” Nico said as he stood up, opening the fridge to get a can of Pepsi. He then threw it at the kid, who grabbed it promptly. Nico smiled in pure joy. “Nice catch!”

“I'm in the baseball team of my school,” Michael shrugged.

Percy chuckled, turning around on the chair to look at Nico with an amused look. “Did he seriously try to kill you?”

Nico leaned against the kitchen counter, folding in arms over his chest with a smirk. “He did. This motherfucker.”

Percy stood up and went to the fridge, grabbing a Pepsi for himself. “I thought that was for me.”

“Oh, boo,” Nico stroked a hand on Percy's shoulder. “He's our hostage. He's not allowed to reach the fridge.”

Percy frowned, opening the can seconds later. “We're treating him too well for being an hostage. We should tie him to a chair and that's it.”

“Percy. We talked about this. We're gentlemen.” Nico highlighted the point by adjusting his jacket on his chest. “C'mon.”

“Whatever. Okay. But following this path, you're gonna get attached to that little moron. And you'll whine because you'll want to keep him. He's a human being, we cannot keep him. Try to keep it in mind, right?” Percy's eyebrow rose dangerously as he stared at his cousin in a knowing way.

Nico glared at him sarcastically. “Yes. I know. He's going to be dead by the end of the week, I promise. Also... we still need to find a way to benefit of all this.”

Michael grabbed the empty ceramic dish as he finished his sandwich, standing up from his chair and placing it in the sink under Nico and Percy's amused gazes. He then cleared his throat casually, turning around to face them. The kid seemed to feel a lot less terrified now that he had spent a whole afternoon with them.

“Um,” he began, uncertain of what to say.

Percy crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes?” He didn't want to admit it, but he felt slightly entertained by that situation.

“I need the bathroom.”

Percy's eyes moved calmly towards Nico. “Take your hostage to the bathroom.”

Nico giggled, directing Michael towards another room. “Fine. And by the way, we're gonna lock you into the guest room this evening. Don't even think of escaping from the window. We're on the fortieth floor.”

Michael turned around to look at him before entering the bathroom. He was frowning. “Do they pay you well for doing this job?”

Nico giggled again. “Have you seen this apartment? The whole building? Percy's clothes and mine? What do you think?”

“I think you're super duper rich.”

“Then you're a smart kid,” Nico pointed at the bathroom. “Go do whatever the hell you have to do.”

Michael bit his bottom lip. “How old were you when you started?”

Nico's eyes flashed just for an instant, his face unreadable. “Now you're seriously crossing a dangerous line,” he said, lowering his voice.

Michael regretted having asked him anything. “O-okay.”

He entered the bathroom under Nico's hard look.

** **

The whole table burst out laughing as Leo Valdez finished telling his story. Jason sat quietly at the end of the table on Leo's right, his eyes fixed on his salad. While Silena kept placing delicious food in front of them, the whole staff seemed busy telling each others stories about their job.

Leo giggled a bit. “I swear. She seriously thought it was a nice pocket watch. Then, she tried to open it.”

“Did she lose a hand? Tell me she did, please,” a brown haired boy – Travis Stoll, he was called - asked him, chuckling while forking his salad and grabbing a bottle of wine to fill his glass.

“That, and half of her face.” Leo winked as the table burst out laughing again.

“I wish I was there,” Percy smiled, taking a sip of his red wine. “That's the bitchiest bitch I've ever met. She deserves to die slowly and horribly, choking in her own blood.”

Reyna rose an eyebrow apparently unimpressed, grabbing a slice of bread from the basket.

“Well, you should start using the past tense, honey! She's dead,” Leo shrugged at Percy's direction.

“Is she? Even better.” Percy grinned widely at the revelation.

Nico, who had been listening to them in hush with a faint smirk, slowly moved his gaze to the Latino while cutting his steak. Jason was glancing at the knife in his hand every three seconds. “Don't call him that. Ever.”

Everyone went dead silent.

Leo's smile faded a bit. “Sorry. I mean... it was just a joke.”

Nico nodded once, moving his attention back to the steak. “Don't do that _anyway_.”

Percy rolled his eyes in amusement. “By the way-”

“If you do it again, you'll regret it.” Nico took a sip of water, still glancing at the dish in front of him.

Jason and Travis kept eyeing each other in panic as the tension grew in the room. Some members of the staff were fidgeting in their chairs, trying to hide their fear by coughing or staring at the food on the table.

Leo gulped, his eyes fixed on Nico's figure. “It won't happen again. I apologize.”

Nico nodded calmly, filling his dish with peas.

“Nico. Don't treat him like that. He wasn't serious calling me honey,” Percy filled his glass with more wine.

“Defend him another time and you'll regret it, too.” Nico's murderous look travelled to Percy, who was sitting next to him.

Percy smiled dangerously. “Would you kill me for that?”

“I'd kill you for less than that.” Nico smiled back, the anger completely forgotten.

Jason felt his stomach hurt. He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing.

“Oh really? Then I should do something about that Jason friend of yours. Don't you agree?” Percy cocked his head, locking his eyes with Nico.

Jason's head quickly jerked towards Percy in front of him, genuine terror crossing his face as he listened to the turn the conversation had taken.

Nico shrugged. “He's just really nice. I wonder what he looks like without clothes, that's it.”

Percy's eyes sparkled, still staring at Nico. Without saying a word, he pulled Baby out and pointed it directly at Jason's head on the other side of the table. “Yeah? Tell me more about it.”

Everyone froze.

Silena distractedly moved Percy's arm to place a dish of mashed potatoes on the table, humming a song to herself.

Jason looked into the gun barrel, shaking. He wanted to gag.

“You wanna know more? Okay,” Nico smirked dangerously, leaning closer to Percy so that their noses almost touched. “I'd rip his shirt off, lick his chest and straddle him. I'd let him fuck me for hours,” he giggled.

Percy put his finger on the trigger. “Well, this is making me a bit jealous.”

“Yes? Would you kill him? Here, in front of everyone?” Nico purred into Percy's ear.

Percy's finger on the trigger tensed. He was opening his mouth, ready to answer Nico's question, when suddenly his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Putting the gun back in his jacket, Percy rolled his eyes and picked up. “Jackson.”

Jason started breathing again, panting furiously on the other side of the table. Leo was looking at him with an hard expression.

“Yes?” Percy's eyebrows furrowed. “And how is this so?”

Everyone started eating again, trying not to think about what had just happened. Eavesdropping Percy Jackson's private phone calls could have cost them their lives. Nico resumed eating his peas with a smile.

“Sure, boss. We'll be there tomorrow morning. Yes. Okay.” Percy closed the phone call, deadpan. He leaned closer to Nico to whisper in his ear. “Assignment. Tomorrow morning in Chaos's office.”

Nico's eyes sparkled. “Do you think he will...?”

Percy grinned evilly.

“I guess we'll find out.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #SUPGUYS


	5. Getting Away With Murder

“Would you stop pouting?”

Nico rolled his eyes, turning his head to look at his ass reflecting in the mirror. “Percy, these pants are so hideous on me. How is it that Prada doesn't fit me, today? I'm really disappointed.”

Percy chuckled, looking at his nails as a distraction. He had been buying things for Nico for the whole morning, and now his cousin seemed to have decided to establish residence in that damn changing room. “Baby, seriously. This is taking you so long. Just give up, we're coming back here another day.”

Nico turned around, a hand on his hip. “No fucking way. I'm nervous. Shopping eases my tension.”

“What about sex?”

Nico snorted annoyingly, waving a hand at him and staring at his reflection again. “Yeah, that too.”

Percy smirked dangerously, standing up to grab Nico's wrist and dragging him into his arms. Nico chuckled in delight when Percy squeezed his ass. They kissed lustfully, Percy pushing both of them inside the small changing room. He kicked the door closed as he devoured Nico's neck.

“Fuck me hard, Percy,” Nico moaned against his lover's neck, arching his back to press against him. That was when the first bullet shattered the glass beside them.

Percy dragged Nico down on the floor as more shots were fired in the shop, eliciting screams from the customers and the assistants.

“I will fucking kill them all!”, Percy screamed in anger, pulling Sexy out and firing through the door several times. The screaming on the other side stopped. “Thank God! I couldn't think.”

Nico rose from the floor in pure anger, three Shurikens at hand, ready to be thrown anywhere. He nodded at Percy once, and Percy kicked the door down. The green eyed boy began firing bullets in all directions, hitting the ones who had dared to disturb them in their spare time and killing them easily.

Percy couldn't help but think that mission had been badly planned. It seemed the spurt of a moment, probably a decision taken too quickly. The men shooting in their direction didn't even seem to have noticed they were there, before dropping down dead. He took a look on his left and immediately dodged as one of Nico's Shurikens flew near his face, planting in the throat of a man who had wanted to kill Percy while he was distracted.

As suddenly as it had begun, everything ended. Percy and Nico were panting, looking beyond livid as they gazed around the room. Dead bodies and blood were covering the ground.

“What the hell was that?!” Percy shouted at the empty room. When he looked down at his white shirt, he noticed it was covered in blood. “Oh, no _fucking_ way! Damn it!”

“Percy, calm down,” Nico said warily, glancing around them with concentration. “It might not be over, yet.”

“Please... help me...” a raspy voice called them from behind a changing room's door.

Percy turned around, noticing a shop assistant in point of death. She was clutching her chest while what seemed a waterfall of blood seeped from between her fingers.

Nico smiled happily at her. “No one has ever asked me to help them! It's always... _please, don't kill me_... or _where is my arm?_ You know. It's beautiful to be taken seriously every once in a while.”

Percy shoved him against the wall as more bullets sprayed across the room. He screamed in madness, killing three other men who had been hiding behind the counter, waiting for them to get distracted. “Fuck! You! Damn! _Bastards_!,” Percy shouted with every shooting.

The shop went quiet again.

Percy kicked a mannequin with bloodshot eyes. “What _the fuck_ is going on?!”

“Please...” the woman behind them desperately called them again.

Percy turned around and killed her. The woman's body bounced against the wall, lifeless.

Closing his eyes slowly, Percy put a hand on his chest. “Okay. That's fine. Amazing, I'd say.”

“We have to get out of here.” Nico snorted, pulling his pants back on and leaving the ones he was wearing on the counter. He grabbed both their coats.

Percy rose an eyebrow at him. “Did you just change? You've got weird priorities, I have to say.”

“I'm not a thief, Percy. And those pants were hideous.”

Percy and Nico stepped out in the street while people screamed from all directions. They could already hear the police sirens from the distance, directing towards them in a mad rush. Percy grabbed Nico's wrist and dragged him through the crowd. Some people were pointing at them, covering their mouths with a hand.

Percy frowned in confusion. “What do they want?”

Nico was walking fast behind him. “We're covered in blood.”

“Fuck!” Percy cursed loudly. “I keep forgetting about that!”

“Blood is so fucking hard to wash away,” the shorter cousin answered. “Percy, do you think Chaos-”

“No. Not here. At home,” the green eyed boy cut his sentence. “Too dangerous.”

Nico nodded once, following Percy down the street.

** **

Percy slammed the door of their apartment close as soon as Nico had stepped inside. The brown eyed boy hung their coats near the entrance while Percy went upstairs to unlock Michael's door.

The kid was sitting on the bed, reading a book. When his head rose towards Percy, his throat dried. “What-what happened to you?”

“Come downstairs. We gotta talk, and you'd better be very forthcoming about everything we're gonna ask you.”

Michael gulped. He hadn't been planning to contradict them, anyway. “Yes. Okay.”

Michael patiently waited for them to change clothes. He was sitting on the couch, playing with a button of his shirt. He also was trying to ignore Nico and Percy's loud moans coming from upstairs. Seriously though, did those two have sex constantly? Michael had been their hostage for a few days now, and he had learnt more about sexual education in those days than at school.

When Percy appeared in the living room, adjusting a sleeve of his grey shirt, Michael fidgeted on the couch. Nico was right behind him, playing with a butterfly knife. He fell on the couch next to Michael, smirking mischievously when he noticed that the kid was staring at the weapon in his hands with fear.

“You don't like blades, do you?” Nico asked him with a raspy voice. His after-sex raspy voice.

Michael shook his head. “A bullet in the forehead is a lot less painful.”

“And you know that for experience?” Nico chuckled as Percy fell in the armchair in front of them. He looked mad, murderous, unreadable.

“Assumption,” the kid lowly answered, staring at his hands in his lap.

“Now, Michael.” Percy crossed his legs almost charmingly. “We need to know a couple of things.”

Michael nodded. He didn't want to look at him.

“I assume you understand that if we're not gonna like what you say or if we have the slight suspect that you're lying... well, Nico can't wait to try his new toy,” Percy stated, deadpan.

Michael's eyes moved to Nico's butterfly knife.

“Yeah, exactly. I can assure you he's very good with it,” the green eyed boy added. Michael limited himself to nod. “Perfect. First question. Were you aware that your father and brothers had the order to kill Nico? You may have heard he's called the Knives Cousin.”

Michael took a deep breath. “Yes. I eavesdrop my father's phone calls all the time. Well... I used to do that. I knew we had financial problems. Someone promised him he didn't have to worry about it anymore.”

Percy leaned closer, his hands crossed on his knee. “Amazing. What else do you know? Tell us _everything_ , Michael.”

“My brother told me not to show up at the store that day. I was curious, so I went anyway. They didn't know I was there.” Michael sniffed a bit.

Nico's eyebrow rose. He was impressed.

“I stole one of my father's guns and hid in a corner. Then... you know what happened.”

A flash crossed Percy's eyes. “Can you shoot?”

Michael finally looked at Percy. A faint smirk curved his lips. “A bit.”

Percy chuckled. “I like this kid. Then what? Did you know Chaos was involved?”

“No. I didn't. I know that Zeus has a lot of enemies in town, and that Chaos is one of them, but I didn't know who had ordered my dad to kill mister... um, Mr. di Angelo.”

Percy nodded. “Second question. Have you ever been to Zeus's headquarters?”

Michael's eyes sparkled. “Oh, yes! It's huge. I wish I lived there. I know everything about that place. It's amazing!”

Percy took a brief pause, glancing at Nico on the couch. Nico was staring back at him. They smirked.

“Everything, you said?” Percy asked.

Michael nodded. “It's cool. Annabeth and I had a snowballs fight in the gardens the other day. Everyone was so happy it had just snowed. It's so rare.”

Nico's lips pursed. “Annabeth? Your cousin? I heard she's good at shooting.”

Percy snorted in annoyance. Everyone kept repeating that about Zeus's granddaughter. He didn't buy none of their shit.

Michael smiled widely. “She's the best.”

Percy's eyes darkened. “Better than me?”

The kid stared at Percy for a brief moment. He knew better now than pissing Percy Jackson off. “No. Not better than you. Just... really good.”

Percy smirked in satisfaction. “As I thought.”

Nico rolled his eyes at his lover. “Anyway. Michael, would you be able to get us inside Zeus's headquarters unnoticed?”

“Impossible,” Michael snorted. “There are... wait, you want to kill Zeus?”

“Answer the question, kid.” Percy stated seriously.

Michael's lower lips started trembling. “There are cameras everywhere. At least two men at every door. Alarms. No, I wouldn't be able to do that.”

Percy crossed his arms on his chest. “Forget about cameras and guards. We're good at getting rid of those. Would it be a bit less impossible?”

“There are still a lot of men inside. Zeus's staff. They're always armed to the teeth.” Michael gulped.

Nico and Percy glanced at each other again. Nico chuckled. “Not a problem, either.”

Michael's head jerked towards Nico. He couldn't believe his ears. Was there anything those two were afraid of? One should be mad to think they could deal with the Cousins. One should be madder than the Cousins were.

Percy got up from the chair, wiping his pants. “Thank you. You've been good. Are you hungry?”

Michael took a deep breath before nodding.

** **

Percy walked down the corridor with his hands slid in his pockets. He was wearing a total black suit over the black shirt, the sound of his steps muffled by the long carpet. In the dim light of the corridor, the only thing one could notice were Percy's eyes as they sparkled beautifully like the ocean water on a sunny day.

Chaos had just given him a new assignment for the day after. Percy had pretended to be shocked about what had happened in that Prada store two days earlier, meaning not to make the boss understand he knew who was responsible of that. Chaos was still convinced he had the Cousins cornered. He was still convinced it was a matter of time and they were both going to be dead.

How wrong could a man be?

A door unlocked on Percy's right. As it cracked open, Jason appeared with a tablet in hand. The light projected on Jason's concentrated face, and the blond boy distractedly locked his office again as he stepped in the corridor without noticing Percy.

Percy cocked his head to a side, following him silently with a smirk.

Suddenly, Jason froze in the middle of the corridor, raising his gaze from the screen. He gulped with difficulty, sniffing around him in fear.

Jason knew that scent. He thought to smell it every single time he woke up from a nightmare. It was Percy's _eau de cologne_.

Locking his tablet, Jason immediately turned around just to find Percy Jackson smirking at him, his head cocked teasingly. He managed not to gasp.

“G-good afternoon, Percy. Going home?” Jason asked with a forced smile.

Percy nodded, humming appreciatively. “Oh, yeah. Nico's cooking pasta for me tonight. I can't wait to reach him and fuck him on the kitchen table.”

“Ah... sounds like a good plan.” Jason smiled awkwardly. His stomach started hurting as usual.

“Indeed.” Percy took a step closer to him. The blond started moving backwards, until his head bumped against the wall. “Envious?”

Jason shook his head frantically. “No. No, absolutely not. I'm happy for you.”

Percy frowned in disappointment, staring deeply into Jason's blue eyes. “You're saying you wouldn't want to be in my shoes? You don't think Nico is worth a fuck?”

Jason swallowed hard. There was no one to be seen in the corridor. No one who could have saved him. But honestly, would anyone be so stupid to stand into Percy's way? Jason doubted it.

He took a deep breath. “I'm saying... N-Nico is beautiful and very nice, but I'd never touch him. He's with you and... I'd never-”

Jason yelped as Percy yanked his hair back, breathing heavily against his lips. “ _Exactly_. He's mine. And I'm his. Be really careful, Grace. I don't like the way you look at him with those dreamy eyes of yours. Have I made myself clear? Make one false move and I'll kill you.”

Jason nodded. He felt a huge pain where Percy was gripping at his hair. “Yes! I'd never do anything! I swear. Please,” he hissed in desperation. “Nico teases me... but it's just him. It's not me, I swear. I'm not lying!”

Percy's eyes darkened dangerously. “You're saying it's Nico's fault? Doesn't your dick get hard when you look at him?” Percy made Jason's head bumping against the wall. Jason cried in pain. “So? Am I talking to dirt?!”, he shouted.

Jason shook his head in total panic. “No! No, no. No. It's not his fault. I just... I'm sorry. Sorry,” his eyes got wet.

Percy yanked Jason's shirt and shoved him on the floor. The blond hit the ground hardly, his tablet breaking into pieces.

Percy crawled over his body, pulling Baby out and pointing it at Jason's throat. “I've always known you were weak, Jason. But honestly... being Zeus's son, what could anyone expect?”

A flash crossed Jason's eyes as he stared up at Percy. He momentarily forgot about the fear. “You know... how do you know...”

Percy cracked an evil smile. “Chaos told me a long time ago. It's an interesting story, really. You're a traitor, Jason. How do I know you're not double-crossing?” He menaced to pull on the trigger. “How can someone trust you? After all you've done... Zeus's secrets you've revealed to us... how can we be sure you're not doing the same with _our_ secrets?”

Jason squeezed his eyes shut, a tear falling from the corner of his eye and in his hair. “My father treated me like shit. He's never believed in me. He prefers my sister's daughter, Annabeth. Zeus taught her everything. I was never told shit about his plans!”, the blond shouted in anger, more at himself than at Percy.

Percy's eyebrow rose in genuine confusion. “You're saying Zeus kicked you out?”

“No,” Jason cried. “I came to Chaos voluntarily to destroy my father. I despise him. I'd like to see his head nailed to the ceiling.”

Percy put Baby back in his jacket. He yanked Jason's hair again, but just slightly this time. “Jason, Jason, Jason. Why didn't you ever tell me about this?”

Jason gulped, his eyes opening again to stare at Percy. “You never asked.”

Percy chuckled. “What you're saying is that Zeus is planning to put Annabeth Chase in charge, one day?”

Jason nodded. “Yeah. I've never accepted it. She teased me constantly, made jokes about it, derided me in front of my father's men.”

Percy licked his lips.

“She's a bitch,” Jason ended.

Percy blinked, standing up on his feet with an unreadable expression. Jason kept staring at him from the floor, not knowing what to do next. The fact that Percy had suddenly calmed down surprised Jason.

But what surprised Jason the most was that Percy was now offering him his help to stand up.

Jason glanced at Percy's hand over him. He took a deep breath and grabbed it, raising on his feet in disbelief.

“Jason, I need to ask you something. And I expect you keep it for yourself.” Percy said after a brief pause. The seriousness of his expression sent chills down Jason's spine.

Jason breathed shakily. “Okay.”

Percy locked eyes with Jason. “If you'd ever get to take a decision - a quick one, I mean - who would you choose between Chaos and I?”

Jason frowned, looking beyond lost. He took a moment for himself and to think about it, staring at the carpet at his feet. When he rose his gaze again, he was smirking. “I'm not completely stupid. I'd choose the Cousins.”

Percy grinned widely.

** **

“Not even a little help?”

“No.”

“Just a vial. Just one.” Nico praised the girl with his hands.

Reyna snorted over-dramatically, turning to face Nico. “ _Hell_ no.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Fine. And what about something to die painlessly and quickly?

The girl opened the fridge of her laboratory, where a full supply of all sorts of poisons stood proudly in front of her. “Since when you wanna kill someone painlessly and quickly? That's not like you.”

“Let's just say it's a person I vaguely like. I don't have the heart to-”

Reyna burst out laughing in incredulity, kicking the door closed and clutching her belly. “Heart?! Who are you?! Where's Nico di Angelo?”

Nico huffed a chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Okay. It's weird. Just... trust me?”

“It's not me you wanna kill, right?”

Nico crossed his arms. “You think I like you?”

Reyna shrugged, wearing a pair of gloves. “You don't?”

“No. I hate you.”

Reyna giggled as she resumed her work on a couple of test tubes. “Well, I think cyanide should do it. Who do you need to kill?”

Nico pursed his lips. “I'm not sure, yet. I want to have it in case of need.”

Reyna's head jerked towards him. She looked serious. “I thought Percy and you had that pact you told me about. If he wants you to-”

“No. It's not for Percy. I'm going to tell you about this, one day, but... not now. It's too dangerous for you. Just tell me you're gonna do everything I ask you to do, Rey. When it'll be necessary.”

Reyna rose an eyebrow. “Now you're being really cryptic. I'm not sure I'm following.”

Nico sighed, approaching her and stroking her shoulders with affection. “I know. Just promise me. Will you stick with me?”

Reyna cocked her head to a side, smiling warmly. “I owe you my life, Nico. We both know that. I'll follow you wherever you'll go.”

Nico smiled back at her. “That's my girl.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I wonder if I watched too many Quentin Tarantino's movies.


	6. You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The previously mentioned "attempt at rape" is in this chapter. Not graphic, though. + Flashbacks)
> 
> I would like to take a brief moment to thank you ALL for the amazing support. I hadn't imagined you could like this... _thing_ so much. Thank you, thank you and thank you. You're amazing!

_Nico was crying desperately when he let himself drop on the carpet. He put a hand on his mouth, clutching his stomach with the other, as the tears didn't want to stop streaming down his face. His shoulders were shaking almost painfully. That was how being hopeless felt like? Nico couldn't really tell. But he knew he had never felt so scared in his life._

“ _Nico. Nico, please. Stop this. You're making me panic,” Percy brought his hands to his head, pacing back and forth into Nico's little room._

“ _Percy,” Nico managed to say between the sobs, “Percy, they're separating us. What are we gonna do?!”_

_Percy stopped pacing, staring at Nico's closed door on his right. “They're not.”_

_Nico stood up, stumbling on the way to his night-stand. He grabbed a Kleenex in the effort to pull himself together. “We just heard them. They said what we're doing is wrong. How could our love be possibly wrong?!”_

_Percy shook his head in denial. He knew what their parents had been talking about. And he perfectly remembered the disgusted tone of their voices._

_Percy grabbed Nico's shoulders. “Listen to me. Listen, Nico!” He shook Nico firmly. The kid in front of him looked vaguely on the verge of a mental breakdown. “We're going to do something about this. I'll never let anyone separate us. Have you heard me?_ Anyone _. They're gonna pay for this. They're gonna pay for even thinking about it.”_

_Nico struggled to swallow. He sobbed in the attempt of taking a deep breath. “The way they look at us at school. Is this so wrong? Percy, you... Percy, please! Don't let go of me!”_

_Percy hugged Nico tight. At the sound of Percy's beating heart against him, Nico started to calm down. He clung to Percy's shirt, crying silently in the darkness of the room. The voices of their parents echoed in the house and up the stairs._

_The green eyed boy left a sweet kiss on Nico's head, which was pressed against his chest. “I'll never let go of you. Never. I'd do anything for you.”_

_Nico sniffed loudly, raising his gaze up towards the love of his life. “Anything?”_

_Percy didn't answer for a while. His eyes were fixed on Nico's closet, his sanity rolling down to hell. “I'd kill for you,” he said quietly, almost in a whisper._

_Nico gripped his shoulders and took a step back to be able to see Percy's face. “Would you? Are you serious?” He was shaking._

_Percy nodded dangerously slow. “Yes.”_

“ _Who would you kill?”_

_Percy looked down into Nico's eyes. “Everyone. Every single living person on this fucking Earth.”_

_Nico's lips curved in the faintest of the smiles. “Would you kill_ them _?” He eyed down at their feet, where they both knew the living room was, on the first floor._

_Percy had never looked more serious. “I said everyone.”_

_Nico smiled wider._

_** **_

“ _Do you think we'll feel guilty about this?”_

_Percy turned to face Nico, who was staring in wonder at his house burning down on the other side of the street. A crowd of people had reunited to incredulously watch at that huge fire. The firemen were already trying to extinguish the flames, though they knew they were going to fail at it._

_There was a giant mess. Children screamed, the firemen screamed at each other, Nico's neighbours were all screaming, too. What seemed ironic to Nico was that everyone wore elegant clothes that night._

_Well, people usually wore elegant clothes for Christmas._

_Percy grabbed Nico's wrist. “No. We won't feel anything. They deserved that. Nico, we've gotta hurry now.”_

_Nico stared back at Percy. He nodded once and followed him, running in the opposite direction. He believed everything Percy said._

_A fireman screamed in the distance. “We found a body!”_

_** **_

_Nico leaned against the wall in boredom, glancing around him in the hidden street. He slid his hands in his pockets when a cold breeze hit his face. Short air puffs visibly exited his mouth. It was a freezing night._

_Some girls dressed in mini skirts and wearing high heels were leaning against the wall a few metres far from where he stood, smoking a cigarette and talking to each other._

_A car slowly pulled over the pavement in front of Nico._

_Nico fixed his eyes to the car as a window rolled down. The man on the driver seat made him sign to approach, and Nico obediently accomplished. He bent forward, looking at the man in the car._

“ _Hey, handsome. How much for a couple of hours?”, the man asked him with a raspy voice. He was probably around sixty years old, he was fat and slimy._

_Nico coughed distractedly, trying to hide his disgust. “Twenty for a handjob. Fifty for oral. A hundred for everything.”_

_The man chuckled, licking his lips and staring at Nico as if he wanted to devour him. “Damn. I'm a bit broke. Can't you lower the prize? Eighty for everything?”_

_Nico took a deep breath. “Yeah. Okay. But I get to decide where to park the car.”_

_The old man clicked his tongue, opening the passenger door for him. Nico got in the car, and the man immediately stroked a hand on his thigh. He smirked. “Christ, I'm so hard already. Can't wait to fuck you.”_

“ _There's a liquor store round the corner. Drive two blocks down, and there's an abandoned warehouse with a parking lot. We'll go there.” Nico said, trying to ignore the man's hand near his crotch._

“ _Anything you want.” The man chuckled mischievously, pulling away the street and following Nico's directions._

_Nico looked out the window as the man parked the car where he had been told. He found a spot under a tree, out of the passers-by's sight. They both unfastened their belts, and the man quickly got rid of his coat. He kept glancing at Nico's lips with wolf eyes, not even trying to hide his arousal._

_The man started unbuckling his belt._

“ _The money, first.” Nico stated, deadpan._

_The old man chuckled in amusement. “You know what, handsome? I wasn't actually planning to pay you.” He quickly locked the car when he noticed Nico's widened eyes. “Yeah. Well. I've got no money to waste... and you seem so understanding.”_

_The man grabbed Nico's wrist and dragged him against his chest, squeezing his ass seconds later as Nico struggled to free himself._

“ _Let me go!”_

_In response, the man shoved his hands down Nico's pants and underwear, rubbing their crotches together. “You're delicious...”, he whispered against Nico's neck._

_Nico stopped struggling, letting the man yank his jacket off. The man's hands froze as he stared down at Nico's chest._

“ _What the-”_

_The man chocked on his words as Nico stabbed him in the stomach. He stole the wallet from his jeans pocket and unlocked the car as fast as he could, stepping outside and running towards the abandoned warehouse._

_Nico panted furiously as he ran up the stairs, glancing around him as he calmed down._

_Percy ran towards him, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking at him in the eyes with fury. “God, Nico! It took you a century. I was panicking up here! Did he hurt you?”_

_Nico shook his head and handed him the wallet, chuckling to himself. “No. He didn't even realise I was going to kill him.”_

_Percy opened the wallet, smirking widely seconds later. “Fucking hell. Look at this. That's a shit ton of money.”_

“ _The bastard said he was broke and tried to rape me.”_

 _Percy's head jerked towards him immediately. “_ Excuse me _?!”_

_Nico rolled his eyes and waved a hand at him. “Whatever, Percy. So... is the money enough for that gun you wanted?”_

_It took Percy a while to stop looking murderous. He cleared his throat. “Yeah. It is. There's a bit left to pay the rent for a couple of months, too.”_

_Nico whistled, looking inside the wallet himself. “Is this man totally crazy? Going around with all that money?” He started counting. “Three... four... Jesus! Nice one. We're not gonna need to do this again for a long while.”_

_Percy giggled, wrapping an arm around Nico's neck and dragging him close for a quick kiss. “Great job. I'm sorry you had to do it. The cops are still looking for me after last week. Next time, I'm going.”_

“ _Don't mention it,” Nico started walking towards the stairs. “We should leave.”_

“ _Yeah. Let's go. Maybe we'll catch the last bus.”_

_Nico winked with a smile._

_** **_

_Percy ran as fast as he could, dragging Nico behind him from his wrist. They were both panting heavily as three men chased them, their weapons at hand. He took a quick look at his back, shooting at the first man in tow behind Nico. The man yelled in pain, grabbing his bleeding arm and stopping his mad rush after them._

_The other two men didn't stop running, though, fact which didn't make Percy particularly happy._

“ _Percy,” Nico hissed, massaging his right side which was hurting. “Percy, I can't do this anymore!”_

“ _C'mon, c'mon, Nico, they're gonna kill us!” Percy shouted at him._

_Nico cursed loudly, but didn't stop running anyway. Percy suddenly dragged him behind a dumspter as the two men ran round the corner in a hidden street. They stopped their rush, panting furiously._

“ _Where the fuck are those kids?! Zeus is gonna kill us both if we don't find them!”_

“ _Jonah, calm down. They can't be so far behind,” the second man stated, loading his semi-automatic. “Little kids? Where are you?” He chuckled, whistling teasingly seconds later. “C'mon. We're not gonna hurt you... well, this is not a promise anyway.”_

“ _I'd like to try the shorter one's ass. It looks delicious,” the first man giggled, getting another whistle of appreciation in return._

“ _We could take turns. I wonder if he's a loud type.”_

_The men both chuckled, aware of the fact that Percy and Nico were within earshot._

_Jonah gazed at the dumpster with interest. An idea popped out in his mind as he elbowed his partner in crime, pointing at it seconds later. The other man smirked widely._

“ _Oh, little kids,” Jonah began. “You're not really good at hiding, are you?”_

_The two men kicked the huge dumpster to a side, revealing Nico and Percy's figures behind it. Percy was deadpan, his gun pointed at Jonah. Nico had a corvo in his left hand, and he totally looked like he could use it._

“ _Uh-oh. You're surely-”_

_Jonah's eyes widened as he dropped to the floor, obviously dead. His partner gasped in surprise, kneeling down to shake his shoulders. There was a hole in the middle of his forehead._

“ _Jonah?! What the hell! What happened?” He stood up again, pointing his gun at Percy in slight panic. “You did this?!”_

_Percy blinked calmly. “No. I'm as confused as you are about it.”_

“ _Fucking liar! You fucking kid! I'm gonna kill you! Fucking little-”_

_The man's head fell on the ground, rolling on the cement for a few metres before bumping against the wall. The headless body fell on his knees, tumbling down seconds later._

_Percy rose an eyebrow, turning towards Nico. His corvo had disappeared. “I'm impressed, I have to admit. I didn't even notice you moved.”_

“ _There's two of us.”_

_Percy and Nico almost gasped as they stood up, turning around quickly to stare at the man who had just talked. Percy pointed his gun at him._

_The grizzled man looked around fifty years old and wore an elegant grey suit over a black shirt, his arms crossed over his chest. There were two men behind him, both in a total black look. “You can thank me later about Jonah Rivelli. Now... I guess you two have names?”_

_Nico was about to answer the question when Percy shut his mouth with a hand. The taller boy looked beyond terrifying, the elegant man had to admit it._

_He then giggled in a friendly way. “Oh, please. Let him talk. I'm not gonna kill you.”_

_Percy let go of Nico's mouth cautiously, his eyes still fixed on the man's figure._

“ _We know better than to trust strangers in expensive clothes. What is_ your _name?” Nico asked._

_The man rose his hands in defeat. “You have a point. My name is Chaos, but I don't expect you two to know me. I'm glad to have found you. I've heard about your murders for months. I couldn't wait to meet you.”_

_Percy frowned. “Chaos? Just that? You don't have a surname?”_

“ _There's no need to know my surname. Now... I told you who I am._ Your _names? I don't have the whole night, kids.” Chaos chuckled again._

“ _Percy Jackson, and he's my cousin” Percy answered, eyeing Nico carefully._

“ _Nico di Angelo.”_

_Chaos rose an eyebrow in pure delight. “Italian?” He then laughed loudly. “Oh, sweet Jesus. It fits you so well!”_

_Nico shrugged as Percy rolled his eyes._

“ _How is it that you're not in prison?”, Chaos asked them._

_Nico was deadpan. “We're good at what we do.”_

“ _Agreed. I assume Zeus wanted the both of you dead. I cannot think of something more stupid than that. Well, kids. What do you do for a living? How do you manage to survive? I have a couple of ideas, by the way,” Chaos said, his lips constantly cracked in a smile._

“ _We kill people and steal their wallets. We trick them into believing we're selling our bodies for money. They fall for it every single time.” Percy declared._

“ _Smart move. My compliments.” Chaos nodded in appreciation. “Are you interested in getting a job?”_

_Nico gazed at Percy, who pursed his lips before answering. “What job?”_

“ _Killers. Professional ones. You'd work for me. You'd get money,” the man took a brief pause, glancing at Percy with interest. “And weapons. Any weapon you'd ever want.”_

_Percy's lips slowly curved into a faint smile. “Just promise you won't separate us.”_

_Chaos put a hand on his chest. “You have my word. I'll never do that.”_

_Nico smiled at Percy, who smiled back at him. He then offered his hand to Chaos. “We have a deal.”_

_Chaos chuckled in amusement, shaking Nico's hand. “We have a deal.”_

“ _So... we're part of the Mafia or what, now?” Nico asked in genuine interest._

“ _With that surname of yours, it was just a matter of time!” Chaos laughed loudly as Nico crossed his arms over his chest, frowning._

“ _That was racist,” Percy mumbled to his cousin._

_Chaos cocked his head to a side. He couldn't stop giggling. “Maybe a bit. God, I already love you! Would you follow me to the car?”_

_Percy nodded. “Yeah. Just... our apartment is on the other side of town, so maybe-”_

_Chaos rose a hand to shush him. “Ah. No. Forget about it. I'm getting you a room at the headquarters; you need training and my supervision. Don't worry, you'll get your stuff back.”_

_Percy sniffed distractedly. “A room... at the headquarters?”_

“ _Of course. I guess it's not a problem for you to share one?” Chaos's eyebrow rose at them knowingly._

“ _No,” Percy and Nico immediately answered, making Chaos chuckling even louder._

“ _I figured. Now... the car.” Chaos snapped his fingers and started walking towards the other side of the street, where a white limo was parked._

_Nico widened his mouth in wonder. “Oh, hell yes,” he murmured._

_Percy had to nod at that. “We're gonna change lifestyle. That's for sure.”_

“ _Percy, I want expensive stuff.”_

_Percy took Nico's hand in his as they walked behind Chaos, who was shouting on the phone distractedly. “I'd buy you the world if I just could.”_

“ _Would you buy me a cat?”_

“ _... No.”_

_** **_

_Nico kicked the door down, drawing his katana in front of him and challenging anyone to confront him. In the room behind his back, dead bodies covered the floor. He took a few steps forward, his shoes squeezing on the white carpet drenched in blood. A man was curled up against a corner, his hands in prayer as he mumbled incoherent words to himself._

_Nico chuckled. “Why the hell do everyone do this? God is not coming to save you. I'm gonna rip your head off and I'll send it to your wife.”_

_The man started to cry. He didn't stop praying, though. Nico rolled his eyes with annoyance. “Okay, fine. That's fine. I was thinking... your head to your wife, your hands to your daughter... your dick to your boss. What do you think?”_

_The man squeezed his eyes shut, mumbling even louder. “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us! And lead us not into temptation-”_

“ _Shut_ the fuck _up!” Nico beheaded him in one single move. The man's head bumped on the carpet with a dull sound which made Nico chuckling. “About damn time. These Catholics, I hate them.”_

_He turned around slowly. There was a heavy silence in the room, but Nico felt someone's gaze on him. Percy had given him several lessons on how to blindly trust his instinct. If he felt like someone was looking at him, most likely someone was looking at him._

_Nico studied the room in deep hush, trying to catch any sign of breathing around him. He was getting nervous._

“ _Okay,” Nico wiped the blood away his katana on a white couch. “Whoever you are, I know that you're here. Every single minute you spend hiding from me, it's a finger torn off from your hand.”_

_Nico's gaze fell on a door he hadn't noticed. Probably a storage closet. He smirked to himself. “You're really stupid.”_

_In two long strides, he was in front of the door. Smirking even wider, he kicked it. Inside the closet, a middle-aged man held a young dark haired girl against his chest, a hand on her mouth as she tried to free herself from his grip. She had wanted to scream for a long time, Nico guessed._

_Nico knelt in front of them, his katana shining brightly in his hand. “Hello, darlings. Who do we have here?”_

_The man locked eyes with Nico, pursing his lips strangely._

_Nico's anger rose immediately. “Don't you even_ dare _spitting on my face. You'll regret it. Let the girl free.”_

_The man loosened his grip around the girl's body, in defeat. The girl rose to her feet without saying a word, and then she did something Nico was going to remember for years._

_She grabbed Nico's katana out of his hand, planting it directly in the man's forehead._

_Nico yelped in surprise and stared at his empty right hand, where the sword had been just three seconds earlier. He rose his gaze to the girl, looking beyond murderous as he stood up on his feet. “_ What the actual fuck _-”_

_The girl handed him the sword. “I apologise. Mr. Schwarz was starting to get seriously annoying.”_

_Nico didn't even take the katana back. His eyes were pointed into the girl's, his mouth widened in shock. “You could have killed me. I could have been dead by now.”_

_The dark haired girl was deadpan. “As I said, I apologise.”_

_Nico grabbed the katana. The shock on his face was still evident. “Who are you?”_

“ _Reyna Avila Ramìrez-Arellano, Mr. di Angelo.”_

_Nico frowned. “I should kill you.”_

_The girl took a deep breath. “Okay.”_

“ _Okay?” Nico chuckled. “You're not gonna pray me to spare your life?”_

_Reyna blinked calmly. “No.”_

_Nico and Reyna studied each other for a while. Nico noticed she had an identification card hanging from her neck over the elegant dress she was wearing._

“ _What do you do for Frederick Chase?” Nico asked her._

“ _I'm a chemist.”_

_Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “A chemist? You mean, you cook drugs and stuff?”_

_Reyna's lips slowly curved in a creepy smile. “No. Poisons.”_

_Nico grinned with the same happiness of a child in front of a chocolate cake. “Poisons. Miss Arellano, you'd like a new job? I'm sure Chaos would offer you one.”_

“ _Chaos would kill me anyway. Frederick Chase is Zeus's ally.”_

“ _I can vouch for you. Don't worry about that.” Nico smiled, offering his hand to Reyna to shake it._

_Reyna's eyes sparkled. “What they say about the Cousins is true, then.” She shook Nico's hand._

“ _What do they say?”_

“ _You're not simple killers in a suit. You are gentlemen.”_

_Nico smiled before bowing at her with reverence._

_** **_

Percy was leaning against the kitchen counter, his eyes fixed in the sink. He wasn't really staring at something in particular. His mind seemed to be far away from there.

Nico entered the kitchen, closing a phone call with a serious look. “Percy,” he called him, when he noticed his cousin's figure standing there, doing nothing.

Percy kept his eyes fixed to the sink. “What?”

“Are you okay?” Nico almost whispered, placing a hand on Percy's lower back. He stroked it affectionately.

Percy nodded. “I was wondering... can I ask you a question?”

“Obviously.”

Percy took a deep breath. “Do you think hell exists?”

Nico frowned in worry. That was a weird behaviour coming from Percy. He hugged him from behind and rested his head against his back. He could hear Percy's heart beating. “Of course. Hell is where we are. This Earth. Hot and burning because of us.”

“What about heaven?”

“Heaven?,” Nico huffed a laugh. “Heaven doesn't exist, Percy.”

Percy brushed his fingers along Nico's arms wrapped around him. “But what if we die? Wouldn't this be heaven, if we die?”

“No. When we'll die, hell will simply freeze over.”

Percy chuckled, turning around between Nico's arms and kissing his forehead. “Okay. Sorry about this,” he took a deep breath. “You were looking for me?”

“Yes. Leo is coming over, so we can talk to him about this shit situation. Do you think he's gonna help us?” Nico asked.

“He will. Don't worry. Reyna?”

Nico smiled reassuringly. “She's with us.”

Percy kissed Nico, tenderly and sweetly, for a long time. As Nico tried to drag him towards the kitchen table, Percy chuckled against his lips. He cupped Nico's face with his hands, tilting his head in a different angle to kiss him deeper.

Nico yanked Percy's jacket off, moaning loudly as Percy attached his lips to his neck.

All of a sudden, Percy yelled in pain and shoved Nico against the table unkindly. “Oh, _fucking hell_!” He bent to grab something from the floor. “This _fucking_ tiny bastard climbed up my leg!”

Nico laughed loudly at the sight of the black kitten in Percy's hand. The kitten mewled in obliviousness. “Oh, Percy! She loves you!”

Percy snorted with anger, shoving the cat into Nico's arms. “There. Keep this infernal thing away from me. I'm gonna take a shower.”

Nico smiled. The cat was purring at him, trying to climb on his shoulder. “I'm calling you when Leo arrives.”

“Fine,” Percy rolled his eyes. Nico didn't even answer, too busy kissing the kitten's tiny head.

The green eyed young man snorted even louder.

He couldn't kill a cute cat, could he?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a necessary brief hiatus from the main plot, but we'll carry on with chapter 7!
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving <3 (a bit late!)


	7. Get Your Gun

Percy squeezed Nico's ass in his hands, completely forgetting about the fact that they had to work and be presentable. They were completely naked on the bed of a shit motel room, taking their sweet time, being all about tender gestures and sweet kisses.

Their customer was supposed to show up at any moment, but the Cousins couldn't care less.

“Percy,” Nico sighed with a moan, arching his back and gripping the sheets. “Just do it.”

Percy chuckled, Nico's dick sliding out of his mouth. He lubed two of his fingers with practice and pushed them inside Nico gently. When Nico arched his back again, Percy knew he had found his prostate.

Nico moaned loudly, yanking Percy's hair and dragging his face down. “Christ. Are you trying to kill me?”, he asked, moaning again when Percy started rubbing against his spot insistently.

“You would know if I did,” Percy huffed a laugh as he thrust his fingers hard, causing Nico to cry out in pleasure. Those sounds made Percy's blood travelling directly to his already aching dick.

Nico cursed to himself, his eyes squeezed shut. “Fuck, just do it!” He yelped in surprise as Percy slid his fingers out of him, spreading his legs wider and positioning himself between them. Nico could feel Percy's cock against his entrance.

“You're being annoying,” the green eyed boy said, pushing his dick inside Nico without any warning. He set a pace since the very beginning, thrusting in and out of him fast and hitting Nico's spot dead on.

“ _Yes_!” Nico moaned. He couldn’t focus on anything but the hard cock in his ass, pushing into him and making him scream. “I love you,” he yelled.

Percy leaned down to kiss him fiercely, pumping between Nico's legs like there was no tomorrow, Nico's nails scratching his back.

The door slammed open, and Percy instantly rolled them both to the floor just before the fusillade could have started. He pulled out of Nico with reluctance, grabbing Baby out of his coat and proceeding to kill three of the four people who had burst into the room. Percy had a brief moment to roll down again before Nico rose up, throwing his brand new dagger across the room and towards the fourth man.

Percy stood up with dark anger, reaching the man who had fallen on the carpet. “Is he still alive?”, he asked, more irritated and harder than he was before between his legs.

Nico nodded. “Talk quickly, he's dying fast.”

Percy snorted. “Who the fuck sent you?!”

“Cha-aos,” the man managed to say before chocking on his own blood, Nico's dagger popping out of his neck.

“Shit!” Nico whined. “This is getting serious!”

“Come here, Nico”, Percy stated with a raspy voice.

Nico had barely the time to frown in confusion before Percy pinned him to the ground covered in blood, pushing back inside of him with a loud moan. Nico mewled with pleasure and grabbed Percy's ass to keep him close.

“Fuck me,” he begged, feeling his back sliding up and down the slick ground.

Percy yanked Nico's hair back and bit his neck, fucking him relentlessly with anger and insistence. Nico saw white at that point, coming hard between their bodies and bringing Percy over the edge with him.

“Jesus. I needed this,” Percy moaned against Nico's neck, convulsing over his body as he climaxed hard inside of him.

“Yes,” Nico sighed, his hands still on Percy's back. “I'm fucking mad right now.”

Percy nodded. “Yeah. It's about damn time we do something.”

“Count me in.”

** **

Annabeth held the frame tightly in her hand, her stormy and undecipherable grey eyes fixed on the smiley faces looking at her from the picture. Her lips were pursed as if she was trying her best to hide her emotions, attempt which was being very hard. She had learnt years earlier that feelings and emotions of all sorts were counterproductive in her job.

Feelings were a weapon anyone could have used against her.

She brushed her fingers on the picture, over the image of a little kid holding an ice cream in happiness. Her lower lip started to tremble.

“That's what I have been told, anyway. So I think we should... are you even listening to me?”

Annabeth put the frame back on the desk, her eyes bloodshot. “We should cut their fucking dicks and corrode them into acid. I want to rip their eyes off while they're still alive, able to feel the pain. I want to feed them to the hounds.”

An elegant man around sixty years old was sitting behind a black desk while the girl talked. His hair was dark, jelled and perfectly brushed, his eyes blue like the sky. He glanced up at Annabeth, who was standing in front of him. He didn't remember having ever seen her so angry. “Annabeth, I'd love to look at you while you do all these things... but the Cousins are not our main problem. And you know it.”

Annabeth brought a hand to her mouth, trying not to yell at him. “They killed uncle Roger. And Michael is nowhere to be seen! I just wonder how many atrocities my cousin had to bear! I guess he's dead now, his torso buried in Chaos's gardens, and the rest of his body parts the God knows where!”

The man rose his hands at her. “Calm down. I know what they're doing to our family. Do you seriously believe I manage to sleep well at night? Thinking about your father, my sister, my son?! They have _my son_!”

Annabeth chuckled maniacally, sending shivers down the man's spine. “Zeus, Jason fucked everything up. He fucked up when he ran away from here and started revealing all our secrets to that fucking bastard!” She shouted, her composure going into pieces.

“I know. Jason did many mistakes-”

“ _Mistakes_?! He told Chaos about our traffics, our allies, our best killers! Jason even told him about Reyna!” Annabeth yelled even louder. Her bodyguard fidgeted behind her. “Jason has to die as soon as possible. I wonder how many other things he told _those fucking bastards_!” She kicked a chair violently, sending it directly against the wall next to her.

Zeus smirked disturbingly. “Oh, don't worry. I want Jason to be dead as much as you want it. But he's still my son. My blood. And I don't want him in Chaos's ring. I'd prefer to kill him myself. Believe me.”

Annabeth was panting, her palms pressing on the desk surface. “My father-” she gulped, trying not to burst out crying. “My father knew this was coming. He told you to give Jason some credit. You didn't listen to him.”

“Are you saying it's _my_ fault?” Zeus locked eyes with Annabeth, challenging her to answer _yes_ to that question.

The curly blond girl shook her head. She knew better than to contradict her grand-father. “No. We just... if anything, it's _my_ fault. I've always treated him like shit.”

Zeus snorted, leaning against the backrest of his chair. “Jason is weak. He's always been weak. Shy. Restrained. Not even a bit able to handle the tension. I wonder how he could have managed to take my place, one day, if he couldn't even handle his niece's jokes.”

Annabeth sighed with tiredness, dragging the chair she had kicked minutes earlier back at its place. She then sat down, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head in resignation. “I know. He's a traitor, and traitors deserve to die. I just wonder if we'll ever be able to get our hands on him again.”

Zeus nodded, staring out the window for a brief moment before moving his eyes to Annabeth once more. “That makes two of us. Until that moment, I need you to think straight and clearly. I won't tolerate another of these... outbursts of rage. Have I made myself clear?”

Annabeth's head jerked towards the man, an apology in her eyes. “Yes. You're the person I trust the most. I just thought...”, she took a deep breath. “Nevermind.”

“Annabeth, you're a strong woman. And I love strong women. Your mother was... so smart and mighty, and you're just like her. But you also have her weaknesses. You need to work on them.”

The girl nodded briefly. “I'm aware.”

Zeus sighed. He looked exhausted. “It's late. Go have dinner, c'mon. Don't worry too much, we're still strong.”

Annabeth stood up with a faint smile. She leaned against the desk to leave a kiss on his grand-father's cheek. “You should eat, too,” her eyes sparkled as she looked at the man. “I mean it. You look pale.”

Zeus chuckled, waving a hand at her. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Go away, kid. I've got stuff to do.”

Annabeth huffed a laugh, grabbing the door handle. Her bodyguard was ready to follow her. “Good night.”

“Good night, Annie.”

** **

Michael was humming a song to himself, one of those stupid commercial jingles that got stuck in your head for days. He licked his cherry lollipop with a smile, patting on a guard's leg as he approached the high mechanic gates. The street lamps were projecting a dim light on the boy's figure.

The man, obviously enough, had already seen him coming towards him. He kept ignoring him, though.

Michael patted on the guard's other leg. “Hey. It's you I want to talk to.”

The guard looked down, an eyebrow dangerously raised. “Go home. This is no place for kids. And it's the middle of the night.”

Michael sighed over-dramatically, his shoulders raising and falling in the gesture. “I'm Michael Brandon. I'm sure you wanna open these _fucking_ gates for me. Don't you?”

The second guard's head jerked towards him in surprise. “You are _who_?”

“Michael Brandon. Are you two deaf? I need to see my cousin immediately. She won't like the fact that I've been waiting here for almost three minutes, now.”

The first guard squinted down at him. “You're... weren't you dead?”

Michael smiled widely. “Does it look like I'm dead? You two are new. Aren't you?””

The two men locked eyes. The second then shrugged, typing on a small device in his hand and letting the gates opening. He was ready to announce Michael's arrival as he brought the device to his mouth, but sadly someone shot at his forehead.

The man tumbled on the ground, gloriously dead.

The first guard gasped in surprise, pulling his gun out and inspecting the surrounding area. “What was it?!” His hands were shaking. “Come out! If you-”

He fell on the ground with a hole in his forehead, in an exact replica of his co-worker's death.

Michael coughed distractedly. He licked his lollipop. “Mh. Not very smart.”

“Agreed,” Percy said, appearing apparently from nowhere behind the kid's back. He pulled Dolly out to keep company to Baby in his right hand. “Let's go. I can't wait to see this girl everyone is talking about.”

“ _Now_ you're trying to make me jealous,” Nico murmured, as they walked towards Zeus's headquarters.

Percy snorted, filling Dolly up as they walked. Their steps were disturbingly synchronised. “I already told you. I am not.”

“Yeah, sure. That's why you yelled _I can't believe that fucking bitch is better than me at shooting_ as you came inside me, this morning. Charming, to say the least.”

Percy shrugged. “A man has his ways to get aroused.”

“I'm starting to think you care about Annabeth Chase more than you care about me,” Nico rolled his eyes.

“Annabeth Chase's shooting skills, baby. Not her vagina.”

They both made a face at those words, Nico pulling out his katana from under the white coat. “Don't say that word.”

“Yeah, I regretted it almost immediately.” Percy stopped walking, hiding behind a big bush. Nico and Michael copied the gesture. “You were right, kid. They have no guards at the entrance.”

Michael rose an eyebrow. “I told you. They have two at the gates, two in front of every back entrance, three inside the atrium. Not to mention all the men wandering around. Don't forget about them. They're everywhere.”

“That is why they don't have any man to guard the front?” Nico asked, glancing at the big front doors a few metres far from where they were hiding. “That's simply stupid.”

Michael shrugged. “You gotta ask this to Zeus.”

“Oh, don't worry. We will.” Percy said, then patted on Nico's shoulder without adding a word. He then pointed at the villa.

Nico smiled at him, nodding seconds later. He laid his katana on the gravelled ground and pulled two Shurikens out. He threw them across the garden and towards the front doors, destroying two security cameras. The Shurikens fell on the ground unnoticed.

Percy nodded once, standing up and resuming his walk towards the headquarters, Nico and Michael in tow.

“You could simply shoot at the cameras,” Nico whispered to Percy. It wasn't like he feared to be heard; he just didn't feel like breaking the idyllic silence that had created between them.

“But I get hard in my pants when you do that thing,” Percy shrugged. “A man has his needs.”

Nico batted his eyelashes over-provocatively. “Oh, thank you, darling.”

Percy wrapped an arm around his shoulders, kissing Nico's temple. “We can't take a break and fuck, can we?”

“No,” Michael rolled his eyes, stopping in front of the high doors. He then knocked three times.

Nico chuckled and ruffled Michael's hair.

The doors opened and a man wearing a total black suit stared at them in confusion for a few seconds, before losing the faculty to speak. His head fell on the ground, soon followed by the rest of his body. The fusillade started instantly as Nico and Percy stepped inside the building. Michael patiently waited for them outside.

Nico beheaded the second man in the exact same moment in which Percy shot between the third one's eyes. The two bodies tumbled at their feet with a dull, synchronised sound.

Michael entered the atrium and slightly widened his mouth. “Oh. You just killed Chiron. He's been working for Zeus's for over twenty years.”

“Well, it was about time he retired. Don't you think?” Percy asked casually as he filled his guns up again.

The three started walking towards the first flight of stairs. Michael almost tripped over Chiron's head.

Nico snorted with annoyance. “This is taking forever. I really want a hot chocolate.”

Percy shrugged, pointing his gun in front of him as they kept walking.

** **

Annabeth's eyes opened when her ears were reached by a series of weird sounds coming from downstairs. She didn't always sleep at the headquarters, but she felt like Zeus needed her to be there almost constantly now that Chaos had declared war to them.

Annabeth knew those sounds. She was used to them when she was at work, but it was kind of unusual to hear them in the villa, in the middle of the night.

Sitting with her back against the headboard, her senses went on alert. As she closed her eyes to concentrate on any noise, she was welcomed by absolute silence.

Annabeth rose an eyebrow, opening her eyes again and sighing loudly to herself. She was being paranoid, lately. She had a hard time sleeping. Her father's face used to smile at her in her nightmares and in her dreams, waking her up covered in sweat and terrified.

The clock struck 3 am, more or less. Annabeth laid down again, trying to calm down a bit. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before closing her eyes again.

** **

The door on his left slammed open as a man's head popped out, a frown of confusion crossing his face.

Percy killed him, walking past the open door and taking a look around himself. He then turned to face Nico. The serious expression on his face came directly from Michael's worst nightmares. “You think Zeus is here?,” he whispered to Nico's ear.

Nico shook his head. “His car wasn't parked in the garage. I know his car, I've seen it plenty of times. The bastard is at home.”

Michael glanced behind his back. A hand laid lifeless on the ground, popping out from the man's opened room. He gulped calmly, feeling like he should be more upset about it.

“As I thought. Michael?,” Percy called.

Michael's head jerked towards him with a bit of surprise. “Yeah?”

Percy smiled evilly. “Where's your lovely cousin's room? I'm sure as shit Zeus left her in charge tonight.”

Michael hesitated. Percy and Nico hadn't ever said they were going to kill his cousin, but neither had they denied it. He felt like he shouldn't have trusted them that much. But Percy's guns were a thing he couldn't ignore, after all. “Round this corner. On the right.”

Percy nodded once, and the three walked towards the end of the corridor.

** **

Annabeth frowned in her sleep when a cold shiver travelled down her spine. She pulled the covers up her body, finding herself thinking that she wanted summer to be back. Winter in San Francisco surely wasn't that aggressive, but it had snowed that year. Annabeth had to admit that the temperatures were being way cooler than those she was used to.

She tossed and turned, dragging the covers with her.

“Look at who we have here. The Princess and The Pea.”

Annabeth yelled in great shock as she immediately sat up on the mattress. Her eyes were welcomed by the sight of Percy Jackson's gun barrel.

When had he entered the room? Annabeth didn't hear anything!

“Now, if I were you, I wouldn't move of an inch,” Percy added when he noticed Annabeth's hand movement. She was trying to reach something under her pillow.

The girl froze at those words.

“Very good. I see you're smart,” Percy smiled.

Annabeth gulped with difficulty. The dim light coming from the corridor was projecting on her face. “Well, it's over. Kill me and let's be done with this.”

Percy chuckled. The only thing Annabeth could see were Percy's sparkling eyes. They were beautiful. “Oh, no. I need you. Would you mind picking your phone up and call your beloved grand-father? I'm sure he wants to have a chat with us.”

Annabeth and Percy locked eyes. “I'm sure he'd like to stab Percy Jackson to death.”

Nico snorted in amusement behind Percy's back. “Me too.”

Percy rolled his eyes before sighing. “Okay. Enough. You're aggressive, then? It's okay, it's fine. I like it. Now... try to be a little more cooperative, Ms Chase.”

“Why should I? You're gonna kill me anyway.”

Percy shrugged. “True. But maybe you're interested in sparing your little cousin's life?”

Nico grabbed Michael's shirt and shoved the kid towards Annabeth's bed. Annabeth held her breath when she saw him.

“Exactly. He's a smart kid. He helped us to get in.”

Annabeth frowned, locking eyes with Percy again. “What did you do to him?!,” she yelled.

Percy rose an eyebrow. “Nothing.”

“You bastards! _What did you do_ to make him talk?!” Annabeth's eyes filled with tears.

Nico crossed his arms on his chest. “Well, that's really ungrateful of yours! We bought him clothes and food and we gave him the guest room! He's wearing Cavalli at the moment, for fuck's sake! What is it that you're complaining about exactly?”

Annabeth turned to face her cousin, a question in her eyes.

Michael smiled embarrassingly. “Nico taught me how to sharpen a knife. The one for cooking, I mean.”

Annabeth started trembling. Had they brainwashed Michael? Was that Stockholm Syndrome?

“See?!” Nico snorted in annoyance. “You bitch! We're gentlemen. I thought you knew it.”

Percy's finger on the trigger tensed. “Can we drop this? Get Zeus's ass here. Immediately, if you care for both yours and Michael's life.”

The blond girl swallowed hard, ready to get out of bed and put an end to that situation. She was about to set foot on the carpet when she stopped moving. “I, um, I need to get my night-robe.”

Percy's eyebrow rose. “Why should I care?”

“I'm in my underwear.” Annabeth sighed in embarrassment. “Since you're _gentlemen_...”

Nico's eyes reduced to a thin line. He then rolled them, grabbing a black silk night-robe hanging from a chair. He threw it in Annabeth's face. “Dress up. Quick.”

Annabeth got out of bed, wearing the night-robe under Percy's undecipherable gaze. She couldn't tell if he was checking her out or simply making sure she didn't grab the revolver from under her pillow.

Percy's eyes fell on her pink panties at the same moment Annabeth knotted the robe around her waist. When he looked up at her, he was smirking amusedly.

Annabeth blushed, taking a deep breath. The young man who was threatening to kill her also was undeniably handsome. And she was half naked. “Let's head to Zeus's office.” She then stood still, waiting for an answer.

Percy had been pointing his gun at her for the whole time. “What? Do you expect us to walk before you? Ladies first,” he almost whispered in such a creepy way that Annabeth actually got scared.

She nodded, walking past the small group and exiting the room, Percy in tow.

** **

Zeus Grace had over twenty-five years of experience being a Mafia boss in San Francisco. He had killed an uncountable amount of men, women and even children in cold blood, without making any mistake. People used to pray for their lives, used to cry and shout in desperation in front of his 357 Magnum. He spared no one.

For the first time during his glorious career, Zeus found himself scared.

As soon as he had stepped inside his office, Annabeth had locked eyes with him. He didn't even waste time questioning why his granddaughter was dressed in her nightclothes. He didn't even waste time questioning how everything had managed to happen, that night. He didn't even question Michael Brandon's presence in that office.

Zeus limited himself to blink calmly, crossing the room with composure and sitting behind his black desk, fingers crossed over the surface. He took a deep breath. He was _terrified_.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Jackson and Mr. di Angelo?”

Nico and Percy quickly glanced at each other before taking a seat in front of the desk. Annabeth had Michael pressed to her chest, stroking his hair almost absently as she watched the trio from the bottom right corner of the room.

Percy crossed his legs charmingly, revealing the dark blue colour of the suit pants he was wearing under the coat. “Good evening, Mr. Grace. My cousin and I apologise for this little... _break-in_ , tonight. We needed your attention, and you were not going to give us any otherwise.”

Zeus nodded, his hands slightly shaking on the desk surface. He still perfectly remembered the sequence of dead bodies covering the path from the gates to his office. “Nothing to worry about. I suppose Chaos sent you here? That's the showdown, right? If he sent the Cousins after me, this should really be the day of reckoning.”

“Grandpa...,” Annabeth started in worry, soon interrupted by Zeus's hand raising in the air to shush her.

“Silence, darling. We knew this day was coming.”

Nico smiled to himself. He was having fun.

“Actually, Zeus, we're not here on behalf of Chaos. We are here _for_ Chaos,” Percy stated seriously, gaining a series of confused looked from both Annabeth and Zeus.

“That is to say?” Zeus cocked his head to a side. “I don't think I'm following.”

Percy and Nico chuckled, glancing at each other for a brief moment before Percy spoke again. “I'm proposing a collaboration. Chaos fucked around with us. We want to destroy him. And we want your help.”

Annabeth unkindly pushed Michael to a side, reaching his grandfather behind the desk. She snorted with incredulity, slamming her fists on the black surface. “You made our family into pieces and still have the nerve to ask us for help?! What planet do you two come from?!”, she yelled.

Zeus put a hand on her arm. “Annabeth, pull yourself together.” He seemed confused, though, when he looked back at the Cousins. “Not to be impolite, but this sounds really strange to us.”

Nico shrugged. “Maybe a bit. But we usually do not like it when we're told lies, lies and more lies. That's what Chaos did for months.”

Percy nodded, not even bothering to add anything else.

Annabeth's shoulders were raising and falling visibly as she panted with fury.

“A collaboration,” Zeus murmured. He then changed position on his chair, trying to get more comfortable under the Cousins' gazes. “How can I cooperate with you, if you spent the last weeks killing my family members?”

Percy rose an eyebrow as if to actually pondering the question. He then shrugged. “We're gonna work for you and try to correct our mistakes. With us by your side, you could be strong again. And you know it.”

Zeus drummed his fingers on the desk. Annabeth was looking down at him, though her mind was re-working Nico and Percy's proposition in her head.

Zeus took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Annabeth's thoughts were brutally interrupted by that word. “ _What_?!”

“I said _okay_. We have a deal, if these are the terms. You take Annabeth with you when the time comes, and you'll kill everyone at Chaos's headquarters. _Everyone_ working for him, except for Jason. Send him to me. Then, you'll let Annabeth in the flesh kill Chaos.” Zeus took a brief pause. “Once you'll be back here, you're gonna work for me under my instructions for at least three years. There are not going to be lies between us.”

Nico and Percy locked eyes. Even their minds looked synchronised.

Percy gazed back at Zeus, stretching his arm forward and offering him his hand to shake it. “We have a deal.”

Zeus smiled, studying Percy's eyes and finding no trace of dishonesty whatsoever. They shook hands. “This is the beginning of a new era.”

Percy's lips slowly curved into a creepy smile. “I think we should celebrate.”

Annabeth and Nico were staring at each other. The Italian winked at her.

** **

Nico sighed on the couch. He had his back pressed against Percy's chest, his body resting between the boy's legs as they lazily watched a TV show. Percy was stroking his hair and looked concentrated on whatever there was on the screen.

Nico sighed again, over-dramatically this time. Cracking his neck, Percy smiled and wrapped his arms around his lover. “What?”

“I already miss Michael.”

“I knew this was going to happen.”

Nico chuckled and tried to turn around to look at Percy. He failed at it, though: Percy was purposely letting him no room for any movement. “How did you know?”

“You get attached to things,” Percy smirked as Nico began whining, unable to move. “I could choke you in an instant, do you know that?”

“Percy... focus on Michael, please.” Nico snorted.

“I already have a plan for that. Don't sweat it.”

Nico's eyes sparkled, his hands grabbing Percy's arms around his torso. “Really?!” He stilled.

“Really.”

“I love you.”

“You're a sap,” Percy bit Nico's neck.

Nico squealed. “Tell me you love me, you moron!”

Percy grabbed Nico's chin and turned the boy's face towards him. “The day I'm gonna kill you, I will shoot you so perfectly that no trace of blood will get your suit dirty.”

Nico stared at him with dreamy eyes. “ _Oh_ , boo...”

“You're gonna look gorgeous.”

Nico sniffed. “You really _do_ love me, then.”

“Have you ever had any doubt of it?” Percy pecked his lips.

“No,” Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. “Make love to me, Jackson.”

Percy frowned in confusion, letting go of his cousin and falling back against the couch again. “Hell no. There's Khaleesi, now. Shush it.”

Nico stared at him deadpan. He then sighed, resting against Percy's chest and rolling his eyes. “This is true love.”

He smiled when he heard Percy chuckling.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cute ~~creepy~~ family portrait here isn't it?


	8. Bloodbath in Paradise

Reyna dragged her shopping cart in boredom, snorting loudly to herself as she stopped in front of a long row of shampoo bottles. She took one and opened it, smelling the content and frowning in disappointment seconds later. She grabbed another one and smelled it, finding it a bit more satisfying.

Her phone rang in her purse as she looked at the price. Not that she cared that much, actually. Chaos was kinda generous with her salary.

Reyna threw the shampoo in the cart, rummaging inside her bag for a few seconds before finding the infernal thing. She picked up. “Arellano.”

“ _Reyna, it's me. Where are you?_ ”

“Hi, little Italian. I'm at _Bath and Body Works_. Actually, I need advice. Lavender or jasmine?” Reyna bit one of her nails, her eyes fixed on the shampoo bottles.

Nico sighed on the other side of the phone. He sounded weirdly relieved. “ _Great. Listen, don't show up at the headquarters. Go home. Wait for my call._ ”

Reyna frowned. “Why? What is going on?”

“ _Just... you know, don't go._ ”

“Nico, tell me what is going on,” Reyna whispered on the phone, fearing to be heard by the other customers in the shop.

Nico sighed again. “ _I need you to be out of there when we arrive._ ”

Reyna stayed silent for a while. Her eyes moved towards the cash registers at the end of the aisle without any apparent reason. “It's happening, isn't it? I want to stay by your side.”

“ _No. I have orders to follow. You don't have to be there. Promise me, Reyna. Please._ ”

Reyna trembled. “I just-”

“ _Promise!_ ”

“Okay. Okay, I promise,” Reyna said reluctantly. Nico was sighing on the other side of the phone.

“ _Wait for my call. And buy a bath bomb for me. Vanilla, please._ ”

The phone call ended, leaving Reyna alone with her thoughts. She swallowed hard.

** **

Annabeth adjusted her short grey coat on her shoulders before opening the car door. She took a brief look inside the car, still pondering whether that was a good idea or not.

Percy grinned at her from the driver's seat, checking her outfit out. “Hello princess. Nice shoes. Do you want a written request or something? Maybe a formal invitation,” he asked her in amusement.

The girl sighed and shook her head, entering the luxurious car and closing the door behind her. Percy pulled away Zeus's headquarters. “Just taking my coffee.”

Nico was giggling from the passenger seat. “Are you ready for the family trip? We're gonna be your tour guides.”

“I can't wait,” Annabeth mumbled to herself, her whole body screaming ' _don't do this, they're psychopaths_ '.

“That's the spirit!” Percy stated as he turned round the corner, smiling at her from the rearview mirror.

Annabeth sighed again, trembling a bit. _Bad, bad, bad idea_.

After a few minutes of car ride spent in deep silence, Percy pulled over the gates of Chaos's headquarters and opened them with his remote control. The trio got out of the car, not even bothering to close the doors or lock it. Apparently, Annabeth thought, Percy was planning to get rid of it. Or maybe he was just sure no one was going to be alive to steal it.

As they crossed the gardens, Annabeth noticed that Percy and Nico were walking respectively at her left and right side. She bit her lower lip, perfectly aware of the fact that she was fucked. There was no way those two were going go trust her, not to mention leave her alone. She felt constantly under their control.

Annabeth couldn't help but thinking there was a flaw in her grandfather's plan. That flaw had two names and surnames.

Percy hid behind an apple tree and watched some men going around the area, doing their business, working in total obliviousness. They laughed and smiled, talking to each other in the garage or drinking a coffee as they exited the building. They looked like one of those happy families from TV commercials.

Nico frowned behind Percy's back. “What time did Leo say?”

Percy quickly gazed at his wristwatch, and then locked his eyes on the men again. “In thirty minutes.”

Nico smiled in happiness. “It's gonna be so cool. C'mon, let's have fun.”

“Calm down, baby,” Percy chuckled. “Don't get too excited.”

Nico pouted, crossing his arms. “You promised I could do anything I wanted.”

“Yes, you can. But we need to be careful. I don't want you to kill me, today. _Coldplay_ 's new album will be out just next week.” Percy pulled Baby and Dolly out of his coat. “Right? Don't get yourself killed.”

Nico rolled his eyes, copying Percy's gesture and pulling his katana out. At the sight of the Cousins getting ready for a massacre, Annabeth couldn't avoid but pulling her own revolvers out.

Percy turned around and rose an eyebrow at her. “Is that a Colt Python in your left hand?”

Annabeth smirked with pride. That was her favourite toy. “It is.”

Percy smiled charmingly and winked at Annabeth, making her inexplicably blushing. Percy had already turned around to study the men's movements when she cleared her throat, her gaze falling on Nico. The Italian locked eyes with her, looking beyond murderous with his sparkling katana in hand. He mouthed ' _watch out_ ' at her.

Annabeth managed not to shake in fear at that.

“Did you call Silena, Nico?” Percy asked casually, oblivious to what was going on behind his back.

Nico moved his eyes from Annabeth to Percy. “Yes. She promised she would leave as soon as the pie was done.”

“Apple pie?”

“Obviously.” Nico shrugged.

Percy was nodding with a smile plastered on his gorgeous face. “What an amazing day this is. Now, c'mon. Let's go.”

Percy started walking towards the garage, Annabeth and Nico in tow. He looked both ways before crossing the gravelled path, raising his guns ahead of him.

A guard was whistling to himself, hands in pockets, and didn't have the time to scream when the first bullet hit his head.

“Princess, remember that almost everyone is wearing a bulletproof vest. Point at their heads.”

Annabeth rose an eyebrow, totally unimpressed. “I wasn't born in Dumbville, Mr. Jackson.”

Percy giggled, shooting at two other men while Nico beheaded the third.

The trio climbed over the dead bodies and kept proceeding towards the huge garage. No one was showing any sign of having heard them, since Percy's guns had silencers.

Percy stopped walking, putting Baby and Dolly back in his internal pockets. Seconds later, he was pulling two Uzis out to replace them.

Annabeth froze. “Where- _where_ were you hiding _those_?!”

“That's a secret.” Percy winked, loading the Uzis. “Okay, get ready. They're gonna notice Mr. and Mrs. Amazing,” he waved the weapons in the air with an amused smile cracking his face.

Nico rolled his eyes and then drew his katana, looking beyond dangerous as the blade already was covered in blood.

The trio reached the garage unnoticed. When the first man tumbled on the ground, doubtlessly dead, a dozen of heads turned towards them.

Travis Stoll had barely the time to say “ _fuck_ ”, before Nico's sword crossed his torso.

Men and women started screaming in panic, pulling their guns out or running towards the gardens. Percy quickly turned around and fired at three men, who fell on the grass instants later. He laughed gaily as he shot at one of his co-workers trying to climb a tree. The dead body dropped on the ground, making Percy laughing even louder.

“Jesus, I'm having so much fun!”, he yelled at his Cousin, who was busy slaughtering a woman hiding under a worktable.

“I know! I just killed that bitch who dared to ask you out when we first arrived here,” Nico smiled happily. “I have no idea why she was still alive.”

Annabeth killed a man who was running towards the front doors, and the garage went suddenly quiet. She looked at the Cousins. “Everyone needs a little bloodbath form time to time. Now what?”

Percy winked at her, pulling his magnetic card out of his labelled wallet. “Now, it's time for apple pie. Ladies first,” he bowed at Annabeth, pointing at the back entrance with a hand.

Annabeth chuckled, the sound of her heels echoing in the huge garage as she approached the door. Percy opened it for her, and the trio got inside the building without any difficulty.

Nico's eyes reduced to a thin line as he looked at Annabeth and Percy walking down the corridor in front of him. He then snorted loudly and followed them.

** **

Chaos took a sip of his coffee, looking out the window. He realised that his green, _green_ grass was now red, _red_ and _more red_. The fusillade that had ceased seconds earlier started again from downstairs, and then someone slammed the door of his office open.

“Sir!”

The man turned around calmly. “Dakota. Were you looking for me?”

The young man's eyes flashed with panic as he slammed his palms on the desk. “The Cousins! They're killing everyone! There's Annabeth Chase with them! We have to run away! Please, sir-”

Chaos rose a hand at his bodyguard. “I noticed. It's okay. You can go if you want.”

Dakota shook his head in denial. “ _Okay_?! How is this okay?! If we hurry up, the car is-”

The man's head literally exploded in front of Chaos, his body falling on the ground. The Mafia boss took a look at his suit now covered in blood. When he rose his eyes again, he was surprised to be staring down Jason Grace's gun barrel.

“Jason,” Chaos almost murmured. “What are you doing?”

Jason swallowed hard, keeping his gun pointed at him. “I spent ages trying to understand your plans, boss. I was full of hopes at the beginning. This is a great man, I used to think.” Jason's hands were shaking. “But then I realised that something felt... _bitter_. I realised that I despise my father and my niece as much as I despise you. You're just like them.”

Chaos rose an eyebrow. “And?”

“This led me to an important decision. A radical life change.”

Chaos nodded, finally getting what Jason's intentions were. “Oh. I see. You had a chat with Mr. Jackson. Maybe no one told you he brought Annabeth Chase here, today?” Jason's eyes widened at those words. “Yeah. He did. You're still convinced that the Cousins are people to trust, my dear Jason?”

“Chaos, Chaos, Chaos. Such a loudmouth.”

Jason quickly turned around, and his eyes instantly met Percy's Uzis. Nico di Angelo and Annabeth Chase stood behind him, and there was not even a little trace of blood on them.

“Did you miss us?,” Percy added, cocking his head with a smirk.

“Enormously.” Chaos smiled, leaning his coffee cup on the desk and sitting in his chair. “Now, I guess there's something serious you need to talk to me about?”

Nico yanked Jason's shirt and dragged him to the other side of the room. Percy followed them, stepping aside and letting Annabeth face to face with Chaos.

The blond girl quickly smiled at Jason before giving all her attention to Chaos. “There is. Zeus asked me to show you some really nice pictures.”

Chaos frowned in confusion. He gazed at the Cousins, who both shrugged, and then back at the girl in front of him. “Pictures?”

Annabeth smiled charmingly. “Oh, yes.” She leaned her revolvers on the desk, opening her grey coat and rummaging inside an internal pocket. She pulled out a bunch of polaroid pictures and threw them on the desk.

Chaos grabbed them with shaking hands. He started looking through the photos, his chest raising and falling harder by the second. His lips started trembling, his whole body shaking. He brought a hand to his mouth with wide eyes. “What have you done...”

Chaos let go of the pictures, that fell on the carpeting.

“Did you like your wife's head on your sister's body? Actually, not to brag, but that was my idea,” Annabeth grinned.

Nico snorted loudly, Percy's hand flying to his mouth to repress the manic laughter that was about to escape him.

“ _What have you done?!_ ” Chaos stood up, pulling his gun out to fire at her. Sadly, his hand flew across the room, planting in the cabinet on his right. A Shuriken had nailed it to the wooden surface.

Chaos screamed in huge pain, bringing his handless and bleeding arm to his chest.

Annabeth smiled wider and grabbed her Colt Python from the desk. She pointed it at Chaos. “Tell your lovely children I said hello.”

Chaos started crying, and Annabeth shot at him right between his eyes. Chaos's body bounced against the chair, sliding down on the carpeting seconds later.

** **

“Drive to Zeus's headquarters and stay there,” Percy threw his car keys to Jason.

Jason grabbed them promptly, a frown of confusion crossing his face as they ran down the corridor and towards the stairs, Nico and Annabeth in tow. “But Percy-”

“No 'but's,” Percy turned around in the middle of the corridor, and then stepped closer to the blond. Jason crashed against his chest with a gasp.

Percy started almost whispering against his lips. “Don't worry. Go to your father. Don't let him kill you, possibly. We'll do something about it.” He eyed Annabeth cautiously for a fraction of a second.

The girl didn't notice they were talking about her. She was busy keeping an eye on Nico's katana.

Jason glanced at her briefly before looking at Percy again. He leaned even closer. “You told me that-”

“ _Ssh_ ,” Percy whispered, placing his index finger on Jason's lips. He limited himself to stare at Jason with a serious look.

Jason waited for a few seconds, but Percy didn't add anything else. He nodded, holding the car keys tight in his fist and walking past Percy. Some kind of madness should be running in his body if he thought that Percy Jackson could be trusted. But that was the only option he had, at the moment.

The blond's figure disappeared down the stairs.

Percy took a moment to think, standing still in the middle of the corridor. Nico had a hand on his hip and was looking at the carpet intensely. At the sight of the Cousins raising their gazes at the same time and locking eyes with each other, Annabeth wondered if they could read the other's mind.

Probably yes.

“Okay,” Percy murmured. “We need to find Leo, and then we can leave this fucking place.”

Nico nodded, and the trio directed towards the underground laboratories' section. Annabeth took a brief moment to examine the villa and the furniture inside it. Everything looked either expensive or technological, or both. The building was impressive, she had to admit. She wondered how much that place's maintenance cost to Chaos.

As soon as they reached the entrance of the laboratories, though, Annabeth's thoughts were interrupted by Percy's movements. The young man opened the door with his card and led her down the iron stairs, Nico behind them. Annabeth widened her mouth in shock at the sight of the huge oval atrium extending in front of her eyes.

“Holy crap!”, she stated.

Nico smiled. “Agreed.”

A door on Annabeth's right opened. It was the door number 20.

Leo Valdez stepped in the atrium, holding a nicely decorated music box in his hands. He closed the door behind him before smiling at them. “There you are.”

Percy nodded once. “In thirty minutes, as promised. Is it ready?”

Leo took a deep breath, handing the music box to Percy. “Yes. Handle this thing with care. We've got twenty seconds starting from the moment we open it, and please be careful not to damage it in any way.” He then turned to face Annabeth. “By the way, I'm Leo. Nice to meet you.”

Annabeth rose an eyebrow and shook Leo's hand. “Pleasure is mine.”

Percy smiled widely and glanced at Nico, who winked at him as if he knew what his cousin was thinking. “Leo, it's amazing. Now we can go to-”

“No, wait,” Leo interrupted Percy's sentence, letting go of Annabeth's hand. “I've got some stuff to recollect. Just go outside and wait for me, then we can finish what we have started here. Will you wait for me?”

Percy patted his shoulder, nodding firmly. “Of course, my friend. Hurry up.”

Leo took a deep breath before smiling. “Great. Let's see outside.”

Percy held the music box against his chest and climbed up the stairs, soon followed by Nico and Annabeth. Nico sent Leo a flying kiss before disappearing from his sight.

Leo shook his head and chuckled.

** **

“This is taking forever.”

Annabeth was drumming her fingers on her knee, her legs crossed as she sat in the passenger seat next to Percy. They had eventually decided to take Chaos's car from the garage, waiting for Leo outside the gates.

“Jackson, you and my grandfather have a deal. This place has to disappear as soon as possible. There are too many weapons, those damn laboratories and... I wonder how many other things. And your friend isn't showing up. Are you fucking around with us?”

Percy slowly turned to look at Annabeth, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles went white. “You're seriously getting on my nerves, now. I told you we're men of our word.”

Annabeth's eyes darkened. “Oh, really? To be completely fair, you didn't even respect the plan as you were ordered. You spared three lives today. Zeus wanted everybody dead. _Everybody_ except for Jason.”

Nico snorted from the back seats. “Shut up, little cunt. We spared an innocent cook's life. And Leo's life, since he's more useful alive than dead. And Reyna worked for you, if I remember well.”

“Just a traitor.” Annabeth stated.

“I don't care,” Nico hissed in anger, digging his nails in the music box Percy had left in his custody. “You shut your fucking mouth immediately if you don't want to-”

“Enough.”

Annabeth and Nico both glared at Percy.

“You both shut your mouths, if you don't want to die horribly.”

Nico rose an eyebrow at Percy. “Promises, promises...”

Percy chuckled and took a look at him from the rearview mirror. “Don't be so impatient. I'll kill you horribly one day. As I said, I'm a man of my word.”

“I can't wait to return the favour.” Nico smiled at him tenderly.

Annabeth eyed them with anger. Her chest was raising and falling heavily as she tried to hold herself from punching them in the face. Those two weren't _gentlemen_. They were psychopaths.

“Are you gonna stab me or behead me? Maybe both?” Percy chuckled, taking a look outside Annabeth's window and noticing Leo's figure walking towards the car in the distance. The Latino was carrying two heavy bags with him.

Nico rolled his eyes. “I don't want you to suffer. A clean cut on your throat should do it.”

Percy concentrated on Nico again, winking at him from the mirror. “You're right. I appreciate it.”

Annabeth's gaze fell on Nico's lap. She breathed shakily, ignoring the Cousins' ravings next to her. For a brief moment, she wondered if she had gone completely mad. Highly probable.

Taking advantage of Nico's momentary distraction, Annabeth grabbed the music box from Nico's hands. Nico gasped in surprise and tried to grab Annabeth's arm, but the girl unkindly shoved him on the back seats. She then threw the box out the window as far as she could manage.

Percy had barely the time to realise what had happened before Nico kicked the car door open, covering his mouth and yelling in shock as he stepped outside, almost stumbling on his feet. “ _LEO_!”

The whole world stopped. Nico held his breath.

And when the music box hit the ground, the whole building exploded.

The sound of the blast was so loud that Nico had to cover his ears, falling on his knees in front of the open gates as pieces of cement and other materials flew in the air, hitting the car and everything around them. Great portions of furniture, cars and cement rolled on the ground and sprayed in all directions, hitting the iron gates, the street-lights and provoking a huge cloud of ash in the surrounding area. The alarms of the cars parked in the wide street were ringing at the highest volume from all over.

Nico let go of his head to look at the disaster, his face and clothes covered with dust. The headquarters were barely a pile of rocks, now. He stood up, finding himself absolutely unable to speak or think. His mouth was still opened in disbelief. His legs were shaking.

Inside the car, Percy felt his ears ringing in his head for the explosion. He was blinking calmly, seeming unaware of what had just happened and still gripping the steering wheel. He couldn't hear a thing. A piece of cement had managed to reach them in the car, hitting Annabeth's head and making her passing out in the passenger seat. A stain of blood trickled down her temple, her chest raising and falling slowly, her blond hair getting red.

Percy's heart started racing at the realisation. His beautiful green eyes were vacuous.

“Leo... see you on the other side, buddy.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is that my phone ringing


	9. Don't Shoot She Cried

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER

“ _Fucking_ hell. I can't _fucking_ believe it!” Percy gritted his teeth as he drove through the city like a madman, fuming with anger and almost killing every pedestrian on their way to Zeus's headquarters. “She fucking did it. Jesus Christ, I'm gonna shoot at her so many times she'll look like a fucking colander.”

Nico's vacuous gaze was fixed on street in front of them. “Yeah.”

“Better idea. You're going to cut her into pieces and send them to... I don't even _fucking_ know, does she have any relative alive, still?! I've never been so _fucking_ mad,” Percy's grip around the steering wheel tightened as he ran through a red light, almost hitting three or four cars which were crossing the intersection. Luckily for them, Percy had excellent reflexes.

Annabeth laid unconscious on the back seats, her wrists tied with a rope. Her body banged against the backrests every time Percy took an extreme bend at full throttle.

“Yeah,” Nico murmured to himself, managing to distract Percy a bit.

The green eyed man frowned, quickly glancing at him every two seconds and trying to drive at the same time. His fury was momentarily forgotten. “Baby. You all right?”

Nico's eyes darkened. He slowly turned to look at his cousin. “Yeah. I just realised we didn't have any pie.”

Percy widened his mouth as he ran through another red light. He punched the steering wheel in madness. “God _fucking_ damn it!”

Nico shrugged and stared out the window, giving Percy the time to cool off as he cursed loudly, punching the steering wheel from time to time and honking at the other cars to get them out of his way. At some point, he also pulled an Uzi out to shoot at a cyclist.

As they reached the high mechanic gates of Zeus's headquarters, Nico opened them with Annabeth's remote. Percy didn't even wait for them to widen completely; he just drove against the gates, opening them as the car hit the iron at full force. The impact managed to take one of the doors off its hinges.

Percy slammed on the brakes as soon as they reached the front doors of the building. Annabeth woke up with a gasp, rolling down on the car ground and hissing in pain.

Nico and Percy got out of the car in a synchronised movement, looking beyond murderous and not in the mood to fuck around. A guard was waiting for them, pointing his gun and trying to look calm and brave. He was probably gonna pass out at any moment, Nico thought.

Percy's car was there as well, meaning that Jason had reached the building.

Percy hissed in anger, slamming the back door of the car open and grabbing one of Annabeth's ankles to drag her outside.

Annabeth screamed in pain, trying to kick him with her high heels. “Stop it! You can't do this!”

“I can do whatever the hell I want, you fucking bitch!” Percy finally managed to drag Annabeth out of the car, letting go of her legs and pointing Baby at her. “Get the _fuck_ up! Can't wait to hear what your grandfather has to say about this!”

Annabeth coughed, struggling to stand up with her wrists tied behind her back. Her head felt dizzy. “Weren't you a gentleman?!”

Percy's finger on the trigger tensed dangerously. “One tends to flip his shit when you kill his best friend.”

“Maybe you just had to stick to the rules,” Annabeth hissed, feeling a huge pain up her leg. Her tights were ripped where Percy had dragged her on the gravel. She was bleeding.

“You're one to talk, aren't you?!” Percy was about to pull the trigger, but Nico whistled in their direction.

“Hey, I'm getting jealous. Let's head to Zeus's office instead of being all romantic down here.” Nico rose an eyebrow at his cousin knowingly, before turning around and walking past the guard. The man fidgeted at Nico's passage.

Percy glared at Annabeth one last time, putting Baby back at its place under the jacket. He then grabbed Annabeth's arm and dragged her with him. “Behave, or I'll fucking kill you.”

Annabeth hissed for the strong hold Percy had on her. He was walking so fast that she almost tripped on the stairs. But the fact that surprised her the most was that, despite everything, Percy Jackson looked _amazing_. No matter he was threatening to kill her, no matter how many men she had seen him shooting at that morning; there was this aura of gorgeousness constantly surrounding him. He even smelled _good_ , for fuck's sake!

“You kill me, and my grandfather will have a lot to say about it!”

Percy chuckled, shaking his head as he dragged the girl down a long corridor. Nico was right before them and smiled charmingly at every member of Zeus's staff. The majority locked themselves in their offices, probably climbing down the window to get the fuck out of there as soon as possible.

“We'll see,” Percy stated as they reached Zeus's office.

Nico didn't knock. He kicked the door open.

Zeus was behind his desk, typing words on his computer as fast as he could. As soon as the door of his office bounced heavily against the wall, his head rose to look at the trio with widened eyes.

Percy shoved Annabeth inside the room, and the girl fell on the round white carpet that adorned the floor. She coughed in pain. The green eyed man smirked, his eyes darker than a nightmare. “Working on the next great American novel? Or just on your last will and testament?”

Zeus trembled a bit. He took a quick look at his granddaughter in worry as she struggled to get back on her feet. As she did, she reached him behind the desk. The man untied her in silence.

Percy glared at Annabeth as she massaged her wrists. “If the princess is fine, we'd like to tell you a couple of things, Zeus.”

The man nodded, motioning to Annabeth to stay behind him. The girl did how she was told, putting a hand on his grandfather's chair and constantly keeping an eye on the Cousins. “So, how was the mission?”

Nico's eyes were darker than Percy's. He slowly turned to face his cousin, a silent consent to let him answer that question.

Percy huffed a brief, totally unamused chuckle. “It was fine until Ms. Chase decided to fuck it up.”

“Explain.” Zeus folded his arms on the desk.

“She didn't respect our orders. She destroyed that place without our consent, killing a man who – believe me – would have been better here than dead. Remember when the Zhang Corporation's buildings collapsed one after another throughout the whole United States?”

Zeus rose an eyebrow, seeming apparently impressed. “So there was Chaos behind that?”

Percy smirked. “Yes. More specifically, there was Leo Valdez behind that. It took him _months_ to organise that massacre.”

“A hundred and forty-seven buildings...” Zeus murmured to himself.

“A hundred and forty-eight, sir.” Nico added, deadpan.

Zeus's head jerked towards Annabeth. “You killed him?!”

Annabeth looked at his grandfather in despair, her grip on the chair tightening. “You don't understand?! They are not planning to work for you! Everything is an act! You have to kill them _now_!”

Nico crossed his arms over his chest and pouted enormously like a child who had been denied a slice of cake. Percy stroked a hand on his back, trying to comfort him and kissing his cheek.

Zeus's gaze kept moving from Annabeth to the Cousins in front of him, not knowing what to do with that information. “They promised-”

Annabeth laughed and brought her hands on her head, pacing back and forth behind his grandfather's desk. “Christ, grandpa! They're protecting Reyna Arellano! I don't even know where she is!”

“Are they? Whose were that couple of human eyes I got in the mail this morning, then?” Zeus asked in confusion.

Annabeth paled. Literally. “The _what_?!”

“Ah,” Nico intervened, “that had to be my fault. I got too excited. Those are Hera's, sir. I'm sorry you confused them for Reyna Arellano's.”

The girl stumbled on her feet, her back slamming against the wall as she tried to make her legs stop trembling. She brought her hands on her mouth in shock. “Grandma.”

Zeus stayed still, sitting on his chair with his mouth half-widened. His eyes looked vacuous. “My wife? You... you killed my wife?”

Percy shrugged and dropped down on an armchair in front of the desk. He inspected his nails. “We went for a visit tonight. She wasn't being very helpful, though. Nico had to cut her throat.”

“Yeah,” Nico added, “she wasn't really helpful after that, too. One tends not to be able to talk when their head rolls down the patio.”

Percy snapped his fingers. He was smiling brightly at Nico from the chair. “You're so _smart_! Goddamn!”

Nico grinned happily. “Thank you! I'm an expert of human anatomy.”

Zeus had visibly blanched. When he had opened the small package his guard had brought him, that morning, and he had found a couple of dark brown eyes staring at him from inside of it, he hadn't even realised those were the eyes he looked at every evening coming back home from the office. Or maybe he hadn't wanted to believe those eyes were Hera's. “Why did you do that...”

Percy rose an eyebrow. “We hadn't planned to kill her. I swear. We were there to... well, take back a thing that belonged to us. She just asked for it.”

Zeus was frozen in shock, unable to move from his chair. Not even to pull any weapon to defend himself. “A thing?! What thing?”

Annebeth's eyes narrowed. Maybe she knew _what thing_. She just hoped she was being wrong.

“Not your business. Now,” Percy stood up again and leaned his palms on the desk surface. “What are we gonna do? You want to die first, or you want to enjoy Ms. Chase's death before disappearing from this Earth?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “At least she isn't that stupid. Which man in his right mind would believe we take orders from anyone?”

Zeus shook his head in denial. The despair in his eyes was deeper than any ocean. “You worked for Chaos for _years_! You killed my daughter and his husband, you killed-”

Percy threw his head back, laughing so genuinely that Nico had to chuckle. When he caught his breath again, there was no trace of amusement on his face. “We did it for money. And for fun, especially. Chaos did a terrible mistake by trying to get rid of us. But it's not like we care that much, at the moment. We don't-” Percy froze. His and Zeus's eyes were still locked, but he sure knew how it felt to have a gun pointed at his head. He swallowed calmly. “We don't account to anyone,” he cleared his throat. His hands were hitching to pull Baby and Dolly out of his internal pockets. “Nico, would you mind taking care of this? Someone's behind me. I'm sure you saw him.”

Nico answered with a series of muffled sounds. Percy could clearly hear him struggling to free himself from someone's grip. He stayed calm, staring into Zeus's eyes. Annabeth's gun pointed at him felt like a cold breeze. “Okay. I get that. You're mad. It's Jason behind me, isn't he?”

Annabeth's threatened to pull the trigger. Her hand was shaking. “He understood that family comes first. Always.”

Percy nodded. A smirk was slowly curving his lips in a knowing way. “I guess this day had to come, sooner or later.”

Nico's muffled screams got higher as he tried to push Jason away from him.

Percy looked up at Annabeth. His smile was beautiful. “C'mon. What are you waiting for? You caught me. No weapons at hand, no Nico. Just do it.”

A tear crossed Annabeth's cheek. As her finger tensed on the trigger, ready to shoot at Percy and put an end to that situation, she froze. Her hand opened, the weapon dropping on the carpet. Her dead body fell graciously at her grandfather's feet.

Zeus dropped on the carpet and took her body in his arms, shaking her in panic. “Annabeth! Annabeth, what happened to you?!” He rose his gaze to Percy. “She's not wounded! She just... how did this happened?!”

Percy was deadpan. He pulled Baby out, and killed Zeus in the fraction of a second.

Zeus and Annabeth's bodies looked almost beautiful on the carpet, which was slowly drenching in Zeus's blood.

“You know,” Percy began, wiping his revolver affectionately with a hand. “I didn't know you could act so good.” When he turned around, Jason was smiling at him. “I should remember about that.”

Nico rolled his eyes and adjusted his coat on his shoulders. “Blondie squeezed my ass.”

Percy paled. “ _What_ -”

“Just joking,” Nico giggled, patting Jason's shoulder vigorously. “Oh my God. You just believe everything I say.”

Jason smiled and tried his best to look amused. He still feared those two, after all. Glancing at Annabeth laying on the floor, he rose an eyebrow. “Um. Can I just ask _how_?”

Percy put his gun back in the internal pocket of his jacket. “I'm not exactly sure, but I suppose she didn't have to drink so much coffee this morning, before meeting us.” An evil grin began curving his lips as he acknowledged Jason's reaction.

“You...” the blond was slightly trembling. “You _poisoned_ her coffee? How?! When?”

Nico smiled, hugging Jason from behind and winking at Percy in the meanwhile. Percy limited himself to roll his eyes at that. “We don't really know. I guess you should ask Reyna about that.”

Percy sighed in boredom, gazing around the office with disinterest. “Yeah. I've seen P2N2 in action, already. It's a poison Reyna created directly for Chaos; she's the only one to know how to prepare it. She can handle the ingredients to choose how much time it will take to actually kill the victim.” He shrugged. “She's been quick. I suppose she came here as soon as her phone call with Nico ended.”

“Mh-mh,” Nico nodded, “I've seen Ms. Chase stumbling a couple of times at Chaos's headquarters. At first I thought she couldn't walk on heels because she's stupid like that, but then I realised she was feeling dizzy.”

Percy frowned at him. “You _noticed_?! Why didn't you tell me? I just realised it when she was about to pull the fucking trigger! Her eyes were yellow.” He put a hand on his hip, pretending to be offended. “This is an affront! How _dare_ you.”

“Maybe if you weren't too busy being all nice to her...”

“Oh, please, _Nico_. Not only I am gay, but I'm fucking my cousin! Drop this shit.”

Nico chuckled, wrapping his arms around his neck and pecking at his lips. Percy smiled immediately. “Were you really afraid to die?”

“Well, not really.” Percy shrugged and kept Nico close to him. “We had a plan.”

Nico winked. “I just waited for your reaction. I knew it was going to be funny.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Charming.”

Jason cleared his throat carefully. He didn't want to interrupt that nice – and disturbing - family portrait. “So... Leo is...?”

Percy took a deep breath, turning around to look at the blond. His eyes had emptied as he heard that name. He nodded, feeling Nico wrapping his arms around him more tightly.

Jason's gaze fell on the carpet under his feet. He swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump he felt in his throat. Leo had been someone remotely close to a friend for him, at Chaos's headquarters. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“Okay, well,” Percy kindly pushed Nico away from him. “It's time to burn this fucking place to the ground. Jason... if you open my car's trunk, you'll find some fuel tanks. Would you mind getting them out?”

Jason nodded vigorously, disappearing from the office and down the corridor. Nico rose his gaze at Percy. “Are you fine?”

Percy's wolf eyes locked with Nico's. He grabbed the boy's arms and dragged him against the desk, devouring his lips passionately and with ardour in the meanwhile. Nico gasped in surprise in the kiss, but didn't lose a second making a small jump and sitting on the desk to wrap his legs and arms around Percy.

The green eyed man sustained him with a hand on his lower back as he leaned down to throw Zeus's belongings out of the way. Nico moaned loudly when he was pushed with his back against the cold surface, Percy working to unbuckle his belt and to pull his pants and underwear down.

“Percy...” Nico huffed. Percy had just violently ripped his shirt open and attacked his neck. Nico's fingers tangled in his hair. “ _Yes_.” His coat hung open at both his sides.

Percy slid his tongue inside Nico's mouth and unkindly unzipped his own pants, not even bothering to push them down as he pulled his dick out. He rubbed the tip against Nico's ass and moaned openly as he thrust inside of him.

Nico threw his head back and screamed, his legs wrapped around Percy as he followed his movements. Percy's thrusts were frantic, rough and deep. The young man had surely no intention to make it romantic. Everything was about running after their orgasms as fast as they could.

Nico knew murder turned Percy on. Percy knew the same about Nico.

“So warm,” Percy puffed against Nico's neck, licking his skin and fucking him mercilessly. The desk creaked under their bodies. “You feel so good...”

Nico cupped Percy's face and attached their lips together. Percy loved when Nico moaned directly in his mouth in the middle of fucking. In fact, the young man started thrusting so unkindly and violently in and out of him that a pencil-holder fell on the ground.

“ _Yes_!” Nico screamed, grabbing Percy's ass to keep him impossibly closer. “There!”

“Yeah? Yeah,” Percy groaned against Nico's lips. He recognised the frown on his lover's face. Nico was close to climaxing. “Come for me,” his hips jerked messily against Nico's.

Nico squeezed his eyes shut, digging his nails into Percy's pants and yelling unequivocally as he climaxed hard on his stomach. Now he got why Percy had ripped his shirt open. It wasn't just for the benefit to have him half-naked under his body; it was also not tu ruin Dolce&Gabbana with sperm.

Percy was panting furiously. The sight of Nico coming was always the last straw for him. His grip around Nico's hips tightened, his forehead contracted in the effort to make it last. “Yes, yes, _yes_!”

“Percy...” Nico mewled, exhausted but satisfied as he felt Percy's hot cum shooting inside of him. He smiled weakly, almost about to fall asleep, and Percy rested his head on his shoulder. “That was good... kind of unexpected, but still.”

Percy chuckled against his skin, kissing his shoulder affectionately. “Unexpected sex is the best sex.”

“Right.”

Percy pulled out, making Nico moan one last time, and then proceeded to adjust his pants to look presentable again. He giggled at the sight of Nico closing his belt and looking for his shirt buttons on the carpet.

“Fuck, Percy! How am I supposed to repair this thing without the original buttons?!” Nico fell on his knees and began sensing the ground for buttons.

“You know that cum ruins the fabric. Cotton doesn't feel so soft after that.” Percy shrugged, putting his hands on his hips and looking at Nico with deep amusement. “There's one next to Annabeth.”

“Shut the fuck up, at least. You animal.” Nico slid the buttons he had found in the pocket of his coat as he stood up.

Percy hissed, trying not to laugh blatantly. “That hurt. I feel deeply offended.”

Someone knocked on the opened door. It was Jason. “Um, bosses? We have five tanks up here and six downstairs. I thought I...” he blushed, “I'd bring them myself. You seemed busy.”

Percy winked. “Fine. You take care of this floor. Nico and I are going downstairs.”

Jason swallowed with difficulty. “O-okay...”

Nico laughed, walking past Jason and then in the corridor. “Don't worry, we're not going to set fire to this place with you inside.”

Sighing deeply, Jason nodded and followed Nico down the corridor. Nico proceeded downstairs, soon followed by Percy, and Jason had a bit of fun drenching his father's precious headquarters with fuel. The cherry on top: he was now guaranteed a huge payment with the insurance policies on his father and step-mother. And on his father's headquarters.

That was a great time to be alive. And he owed everything to Mr. di Angelo and Mr. Jackson.

Jason couldn't believe his thoughts as he smiled happily, unscrewing another tank.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -1 CHAPTER
> 
> man wtf how did this happen


	10. Where The Wild Roses Grow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS. Or don't, it's okay.

“No. No, no, _no_. Everything about this is wrong,” Percy stated, deadpan.

Nico frowned in concentration as he stared at the phone in his hands. A black cat was curled up next to him on the elegant couch, purring at him and sleeping peacefully.

“Nico. Are you even listening to us?”

“Give me a second.” The brown eyed man slid a finger on the screen, giggling seconds later.

Jason and Percy looked at each other in annoyance. Percy took a deep breath. “Love. This is serious.”

Nico rose his gaze from the phone, still chuckling for the text he had just read. The two young men were waiting for his attention, standing beside a huge map of the United States hanging on the wall. The thing added a glamorous detail to the already elegant and modern atmosphere of the conference room.

Percy folded his arms, raising an eyebrow knowingly at Nico.

Nico's smile faded. He rolled his eyes and stood up, throwing the phone on the couch and sighing as he looked at the map. It was so big and high that it reached the edge of the ceiling. Nico squinted at it. “Jesus. No. If we send two groups of ten men in this area,” Nico pointed at an undefined spot on the State of New York, “they're gonna catch us in the south,” he moved his finger down on the map. “We have to cover it.”

“But it's the only option we have!” Jason widened his arms. “They're gonna attack us from behind, otherwise. Reyna said-”

Nico snorted. “Darling, this is not the game Risk. Or sex,” he chuckled. “They're not going to attack us from behind. They fear us and they're stupid. Trust me... One group is enough.”

Percy nodded in appreciation. “Exactly.”

Jason sighed heavily. “I still think we need to place more men in that area. Gaia is not going to be kind with us. Fear or not fear.”

“Who bought the whole Earth Corporation and Gaia's men's loyalty?” Nico asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Percy kissed his shoulder almost distractedly, staring back at the map seconds later.

“You two did. But-”

“Who brainwashed Gaia's right-hand man so that he's now working for us?”

Jason took an exasperated breath. “You did. But-” Percy cleared his throat over-dramatically, interrupting his sentence. The blond sighed. “ _Percy_ did, but-”

“Who is _not_ going to order a retreat because they know they're stronger than anyone else in this fucking country?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “You. It's you two. Always you, forever you. Everything happens because of you.”

Percy and Nico chuckled. Nico was nodding in appreciation. “I see you're learning. So... how many men are we gonna place in our New York's department?”

“Ten?” Jason asked, already knowing he was right.

“Good boy.”

Jason huffed a brief laugh. “Whatever. Okay. You're the bosses,” he smiled as he looked at the screen of his phone, which was laying on the table in front of them. “Anyone wants anything for a sneak? Silena has just arrived with a chocolate tart. She just texted me.”

Percy forgot everything about work. “ _Me_.”

Jason and Percy locked eyes for a brief instant.

They literally ran towards the door, slamming it open and reaching the elevator on the other side of the corridor. Nico stared at them through the glass wall, totally unimpressed. With a confused frown, he kept staring as the two tried to punch each other in order to get in the elevator first.

Someone knocked on the glass door to get Nico's attention. Nico hadn't even noticed anyone arriving, too busy analysing the ridiculous sight of his cousin and their staff member fighting for a slice of tart. He turned around as the elevator dinged in the distance. “Yes?”

A young boy was holding a huge pile of paperwork with a shy smile. “Mr. di Angelo, the expertise you asked for an hour ago. And your coffee. Extra black, extra strong.”

Nico snorted in boredom, gesturing at the long oval table in front of him. “ _Magnifico*_. More work. Thank you, honey.”

The boy smiled in amusement and let the paperwork drop on the table surface with a dull sound. He then placed the coffee cup next to them. The cat jumped off the couch and out of the room, apparently feeling deeply disturbed by all that noise. “You're welcome, boss.”

Nico looked at the boy as he gave him his back to exit the room. He licked his lips with a grin. “Micky?”

Michael turned around with an uncertain expression. “Yes, sir?”

“There's Silena in the kitchen with a chocolate tart. Go eat something, all right?”

The brown haired kid nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir!”

“Your homework?” Nico folded his arms with a knowing grin.

“Um...” Michael gazed around the room to avoid Nico's gaze. “Well. I may have lost too much time in the poisons' department with Reyna, sir.”

Nico chuckled. “I'm aware. And...?” He rose an eyebrow.

Michael looked at him, uncertain. “I'm gonna kill the teacher so that he's not going to send me to detention, sir?”

Nico grinned openly. “Exa- _what_ \- no!” Nico widened his arms in shock, Italian style. “Go eat something and then do your homework, you basket case!”

Michael giggled. “Yes, sir.”

Nico snorted in resignation and then walked past the boy, ruffling his hair in the meanwhile and exiting the room. “I need my laptop. But if I still find you here as I come back from my office, I'll seriously get mad. And don't forget that Reyna will tell me everything you do.”

Michael turned to gaze at his boss directing towards his office. He giggled a bit more. “Yes, sir.”

** **

Percy sighed in tiredness as he closed the car door, taking a seat in the black limo. He laid his head on the backrest, rubbing his eyes and yawning as the driver pulled over the parking lot of The Half-Blood Enterprises. Who would have imagined that behind that huge enterprise of strategy and marketing consulting there was a Mafia organisation? That was the best way to hide money laundering, and by far one of Nico's greatest ideas.

His idea to start having sex with each other coming first, anyway.

Percy yawned again, the thought of his cousin and lover haunting his mind and making him smile in appreciation.

“Mr. Jackson, you're in need of a coffee? Or maybe of sleep.”

Percy opened his eyes again, smiling at his driver from the rearview mirror. “Yeah. Most likely, thanks Argus. Stop at that nice bar that just opened down the block.”

Argus smiled back, nodding at him. “No Starbucks, sir?”

“If I bring Nico a Starbucks coffee at the meeting, he's gonna rip my head off.”

Argus laughed in amusement. “That's dangerously accurate.”

“I'm aware. I wasn't joking.”

Argus chuckled once more.

After a few minutes of silent driving, Percy managed to pick a coffee for Nico and reached the building in which the meeting was supposed to take place. Percy cracked a smile, stepping outside the car. The weather was insanely hot and he couldn't stop imagining himself at the beach in just a swimsuit. Instead, there he was, forced to wear an expensive suit with tie in mid July. Life was being unfair to him.

Humming a song dangerously similar to _I Will Survive_ , Percy entered the hall and kindly greeted the receptionist. The woman tried to stop him to check for his appointment, but Percy ignored her. He checked his phone as the elevator reached the 34th floor, and the doors opened with a cheery _ding_. Percy's head popped out in the corridor. There was no one to be seen or heard.

Percy shrugged, the thought of delivering his coffee being his first priority. Without any hesitation or even knocking, he pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the conference room with a shoulder.

Nico was sitting with his arms and legs crossed on a big chair, looking vaguely bored. In front of him, the long table was covered in sheets of paper, pens, human rests and blood. A _lot_ of blood. The Italian clicked his tongue at the sight of Percy holding a coffee. “About damn time.”

Percy put the cup on the table for Nico to take it. He grabbed his phone, quickly glancing around the room before sending a text distractedly. “I guess they didn't like our proposition.”

Nico took a sip of his coffee and smiled. “You guess right.”

Percy's phone disappeared back at its place in the pocket. Percy folded his arms over his chest. “Where's Grace?”

“He said something about needing to cover this mess up and started making phone calls,” Nico shrugged. “You know. Doing his job.”

Percy nodded, unkindly shoving a dead body occupying the seat next to his lover. The dead woman dropped on the floor. Sighing loudly, Percy sat down. “So, what am I doing here?”

Nico rose an eyebrow at him and placed the cup on the table before licking his lips. He looked amused. “It's not my fault if you arrived late. Also, you brought me an Espresso. That's what you're doing here.”

“I suppose,” Percy fell against the backrest. “What is-”

Nico rose a finger at him to shush him. He grabbed the vibrating phone from the jacket he was wearing with his free hand, and then he brought it to his ear. “Di Angelo.” He frowned, his finger still pointed at Percy. “Yes, it's me. I'm his guardian and litem.”

Percy leaned closer, squinting his eyes with interest.

“... He did what?” Nico covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. “Oh, no. I'm lot giggling, Mr. Bateman... Yes?”

Percy rolled his eyes.

The Italian took a brief pause. “I'm really sorry for what happened. We're gonna pay for the damage.” Nico cleared his throat. “Oh yes. We're gonna buy some other mice for the science fair, too. Of course.” Percy frowned in disgust. “Thank you again for understanding. We'll see at the parents' meeting... Yes. He's a troubled kid, you know... he lost his parents a few months ago.” Nico threw Percy an amused gaze. “For sure. Thank you, Mr. Bateman. Have a nice day yourself”. He closed the phone call and kept looking at Percy.

The green-eyed man widened his arms in confusion. “So?”

“Michael _accidentally_ set fire to the science laboratory of his school.” Nico giggled, sending a text to their accountant.

“And you're gonna pay to rebuild it? Why?!” Percy's mouth was hanging open. “Why the hell don't you agree to home school him?”

Nico unkindly threw his phone on the table and started gesticulating so much that Percy got distracted. “Percy, education is _important_! It's not like we cannot afford to pay for a little science laboratory. Micky needs to interact with kids his age and-”

“Stop burning things.”

“Percy, you set fire to our parents.” Nico looked at him knowingly.

Percy snorted in annoyance. “It only happened _once_.”

“He can't learn how to deal with others if he doesn't go to school. I want him to study hard to get in a prestigious university. I also want him to be good with people.”

Percy stared at him deadpan. “... Good with people? Do you remember what you do for a living?”

Nico snorted, grabbing his phone and coffee as he stood up. The chair screeched on the floor and bumped against an old man's head. “You know what I mean.”

Percy followed his cousin out of the room and distractedly shot at a guard who was approaching them. The two walked over the dead body in a synchronised movement, keeping their conversation heated. “I _do_ know what you mean, but it doesn't make any sense! We're spending lots and lots of money to repair the science laboratory of a school which we do not care about! The only reason the headmaster doesn't kick Michael out is _our money_.”

Once in the elevator, Nico pressed the button to the ground floor, and the metallic doors closed in front of them. “Whatever. He's going to school. End of discussion.”

“Nico-”

“ _Finiscila_.*” Nico interrupted him.

Percy had to roll his eyes at that. “Don't start getting all Italian at me. It doesn't work, and you know it.”

Nico's bloodshot eyes locked with Percy's. He smiled dangerously. “You like it when I get all Italian at you in bed.”

“Yeah, if it just wasn't for the fact that I don't get a thing of what you say.” Percy sniffed, staring at the doors in front of them.

Nico bit his lower lip mischievously. “You really seem to understand, though.”

Percy cocked his head, a faint smile curving his lips. “Screams and pleas are universal.”

“Boo, I'm horny.”

“Don't care. Keep it in your pants.”

The elevator reached the ground floor and opened with a _ding_. The cousins stepped outside, Nico holding Percy's hand and smiling charmingly at him. Percy wasn't looking at him back, though. “Boo?”

“Nope. Nu-uh.”

“In the car?” Nico implored Percy with his eyes as he shook his arm. “Just a quickie.” He threw the empty coffee cup in the nearest trash can.

“There's Argus.”

“Like he's not used to it,” Nico snorted.

Percy unkindly freed his hand from Nico's grip. “Yeah. That's _exactly_ the point. Poor man, we should let him live his life in peace.”

Nico couldn't repress a loud giggle. “You sound so annoyed with me. I love it.” Directing towards the exit doors, he cut the receptionist's throat. “All right, then. I'll wait to be at home.”

They walked silently out of the building and got in the car, the police sirens in the background. As the limo doors shut at the same time, Argus pulled over the main street to get rid of the cops. The last thing the Cousins needed was to waste some more time corrupting a few officers and wasting some more money, that day.

Nico took a look at his wristwatch. “Do we have time for lunch?”

Casually looking outside the window, Percy shrugged. “Maybe. We have that little thing in Lombard Street, remember?”

“Damn it!” Nico snorted, punching his cousin to get his attention. “Why didn't you tell me yesterday, when I asked you... _Percy, what are the plans for tomorrow? Some nice massacre?_ And you just shrugged?”

“Why don't you buy a fucking agenda or write everything down on your phone? What the fuck?”

“You're supposed to be the responsible one.” Nico crossed his arms over his chest, looking vaguely annoyed.

Percy snorted, all the while trying not to burst out laughing. “What?! You're legally able to do everything. I'm not your babysitter!”

Nico jumped on the back seats towards Percy, grabbing his right arm. “Boo, give me a kiss.”

Percy rose an eyebrow, totally unimpressed. He leaned forward, exposing his cheek for Nico to kiss it. The Italian chuckled and pressed his lips on Percy's cheek, but Percy quickly turned around and captured them with his own. He cupped Nico's neck, sneaking his tongue inside the boy's mouth. When they separated, Nico's face flushed red.

Percy smirked in such a way that Nico was reminded of their high school times, when Percy used to get on the teachers' nerves just for the fun of it. “What would I do without you? Annoying me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Nico smiled at him, noticing that their limo had stopped moving. “You would be so bored.”

“Indeed.” Percy grabbed the car handle behind him, opening the limo and offering his hand to Nico. They smiled at each other, Nico stepping out of the car and blushing as Percy kissed his hand charmingly. The green-eyed boy then pulled Sexy out of his jacket. “Let's go have a little fun, my sun and stars.”

Nico had three Shurikens in his hand. He winked at Percy and walked past him. “Yes, moon of my life.”

** **

“Would you stop _giggling_?! Please! I'm trying to be serious here!” Percy slammed his palms on the table surface of the conference room, leaving his fingerprint on the glass. “You're all forgetting I could kill you in the blink on an eye, right?”

The whole room went quiet. Some staff members coughed embarrassingly, others paled at the realisation of the truth of that statement. Michael was playing Pac-Man on his phone, and when the little yellow ball got touched by a ghost, the music game echoed in the silence.

“ _Shit_!”, he yelled.

Jason rolled his eyes at that.

“... Micky. Can you please not?” Percy folded his arms over his chest.

Hitting him all of a sudden that nobody else was chatting or laughing or minding their own business anymore, Michael rose his gaze towards Percy on the other side of the room. “Oh. Sorry.” He locked his phone and left it on the table. “Go on. I'm all ears.”

“Don't you have piano lessons on Fridays?”

“I suck at piano. Nico made me quit. I'm starting with guitar next week.”

Percy frowned. “What's this obsession of playing an instrument?”

Jason cleared his throat over-dramatically. “Sir.”

“Yes,” Percy shook his head to clear his mind. “Right. Business. Michael, just... be quiet.”

The kid limited himself to shrug. “Sure thing.”

Percy rummaged through a pile of papers he had in front of him, on the table. He grabbed a heavy folder with an unreadable code written on it. “Now, I need to know what is going on in our branch in Las Vegas. Reyna?”

The girl, who had been staring at Percy for the whole time, smiled drily. She looked beautiful, her hair tied in a long braid falling on her left shoulder. Jason was looking at her with dreamy eyes. “Nothing to worry about. I've already requested a flight for tomorrow morning, I'm gonna personally take care of this. I wanted to ask if someone-”

“Me!” Jason smiled widely. “I'm coming, if you need anyone to watch your back.”

“Not only her back,” someone whispered, unleashing some giggles and laughter through the staff members.

“... I had Thalia in mind, but since you look so happy about it,” Reyna rolled her eyes, winking at Michael who was grinning in her direction. “Thanks, Grace.”

Percy ignored the whole thing. He nodded firmly, his eyes glacial and serious. “You and Jason can take our private jet, if you-”

“I already did, sir. I requested it two hours ago.”

Percy rose an eyebrow. By ' _our_ ' jet, he obviously meant his and Nico's. “Oh. Okay. So... we need to talk about this Apollo guy.” He finally sat down on his chair, tossing the folder away from him and grabbing a new one with a couple of pictures inside. “Who the hell is he? What the fuck does he want?”

Jason, who looked beyond happy that Reyna hadn't punched him in the face yet, leaned forward. “European, of Greek and Italian origins. He has a few arrangements with a couple of Mexican cartels around the area. Mainly, he buys high quantities of drugs and sells them at a higher price. We suspect he set some kind of meth laboratory somewhere in this country. Hedge and I have been studying his movements for a while, now.”

“And?” Percy fell against his chair with a bored expression.

“And that's it. He's spreading some rumour about having an agreement with us. People believe it, and leave him alone as a consequence.” Jason shrugged.

“Clever.”

Percy's eyes moved towards the conference room's door, following the warm sound of that voice which he knew so well. His staff members turned around to look at the gracious figure of Nico di Angelo leaning against the door frame. The young man was beyond gorgeous.

Percy smiled at him, the whole world around him disappearing. Nothing else mattered if Nico was there.

“So, why are you letting Michael participating in this?” Nico rose an eyebrow at him with amusement.

Percy sighed. “You know better than to try to dissuade him. He does that face he learnt from you. The pathetic one.”

Nico went quiet for a while, his lips slowly curving in a mischievous grin. “Well, okay. Actually, I was here for another reason. The building is-”

All the alarms surrounding them set off at the same time.

“- under attack. God damn it, not even a second to get a coffee.”

Percy snorted as his staff members started standing up, filling their weapons up and wearing their bulletproof vests. No one panicked or screamed or started running. Everyone just stood there, waiting.

The only person who didn't seem to even notice about the attack was Michael, who had grabbed his phone again to play with it. An unequivocal noise of bullets spraying in all directions reached everyone's ears. Nico sighed and stole Michael's phone from his hands. “Dumbass. Procedure number three.”

“But-”

“Number _fucking_ three. Go.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He walked past Nico and disappeared down the corridor.

The staff members didn't blink; they were all looking at Percy and waiting for instructions. The green-eyed man was analysing his nails when he noticed a dozen of couple of eyes fixed on him. He rose an eyebrow in confusion, and then he gasped. “Oh! Yes. Sure. Go kill everyone. We'll join very soon.”

Men and women nodded once at him and walked past Nico and out of the conference room, their guns pointed and ready to fire at anyone. Smiling warmly, Nico pulled his Corvo out and checked his teeth on the blade. “Perfect.”

“My love,” Percy had Mr. and Mrs. Amazing at hand. “Would you follow me? We should make sure that hell keeps burning, today.”

Nico's eyes sparkled with affection for that man. “You don't even know how much I love you.”

“Considering all the people you've killed, the lies you've told, all those beautiful tortures... I think I do.”

“Nah. You don't.” Nico shrugged, gazing around him in worry. “Where's the cat?”

“... Considering I didn't kill that cat, yet.”

Nico chuckled. “Oh, God.” He turned to look at Percy again. “Maybe you _do_ love me. Why don't you love cats?”

Percy approached his cousin and lover, and pecked his lips quickly. The alarms were almost trying to deafen him. “Let's make a deal. The day you'll kill me, I'm gonna tell you why I hate cats.”

Nico's eyes widened. “ _What_?! No! Tell me, now! I just-”

Percy rose an eyebrow at him. “That's the deal. You kill me, I tell you. Take it or leave it.”

Snorting loudly in annoyance, Nico rolled his eyes. “You and your damn deals. I hate them. But okay, I take it. Let's go.”

Percy laughed and followed Nico towards the end of the corridor. His eyes were locked on Nico's ass. “Can't wait to squeeze that.”

Nico didn't even turn around. “Go fuck yourself.” He got in the elevator.

Percy took a deep breath and smiled, murmuring to himself. “Yeah, that's the intention...”

  
  


Hell kept burning, that day.

FINE

  
  


* Magnifico: magnificent.

* Finiscila: stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point... I don't even know what to say to show you my gratitude for the support I received for this fic. This was a wild ride - probably open to some kind of sequel ~~in a far future, don't get too excited ahah~~. And so... thank you. Thank you with all my heart. I loved writing this; it was stimulating, funny, and you seemed to appreciate it, which is the best thing. I'm amazed about the positive feedback THFO got. I can't believe it. It means the world to me.  
>  Thank you for following me down this mad path! And see you with the next fic (probably a Private Lesson spin off about Christmas. Yeah, I know you've had enough of that series but apparently _I_ didn't. I'm a weak person. Forgive me).
> 
> ❆ HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ❆ I wish you a lot of joy!


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